The Story Behind The Christmas Pickle And Why Everyone In Pittsburgh Has One On Their Tree
We, Pittsburghers, treasure our traditions – from packing downtown on Light Up Night, the official start of the holiday season, to gathering to watch the ball go up on New Year’s Eve. As Pittsburghers, we also love pickles. How many other cities, after all, do you know that have an annual festival dedicated to the pickle? Some of us even have a Christmas pickle on our tree.
While the tradition of the Christmas pickle didn’t originate in Pittsburgh, it’s become a beloved tradition in homes all across the city and suburbs.
The exact origins of where this treasured tradition began really isn’t known, although it is believed to have come from Germany in the 19th century. One theory, however, dates it back to Pennsylvania during the Civil War.
State legend tells the story of a Bavarian-born private who had been captured and held prisoner during the war. On Christmas Eve, when he could take the nagging hunger no longer, he asked a guard for a pickle. The guard complied.
Whether the legend started in Germany, as some have suggested, or right here in PA, it’s been treasured for generations. The first kiddo to find the pickle is supposed to get a gift while the first adult that catches sight of it is promised good luck in the New Year.
Pittsburgh was supposed to pay homage to the Christmas pickle in 2020 with a display of the World’s Largest Pickle Ornament. However, during installation in November, the pickle popped.
Still, we can honor the treasured tradition by putting the Christmas pickle on the tree after all other ornaments have been placed (as the tradition calls for).
Do you have a Christmas pickle on your tree? What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share your experience in the comments! Here are just a few weird and wacky Pittsburgh traditions with which most of us are familiar.
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Address: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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