The Interesting Reasons Why People Put Pickles In Christmas Trees

The first full week of December is "Christmas Tree Week" and many people are getting a live tree for the first time or the first time in a long time. Before you decide to go into the woods or the local cut-it-yourself tree farm, here are some things that may be coming home with you.

So once you've gotten your tree home or you are about ready to put up the artificial one, what should you put on the tree? Here's something that Traci had told me about a few years ago and I thought she was putting me on. So what was it? A pickle. WHAT!

Apparently, there is something known as the Christmas Pickle, who knew? One story has it going back to the 1890s when stores started selling glass ornaments that were made in Germany.

A store came up with the idea of putting a pickle on the Christmas tree and whoever found the pickle would get an extra present or money...and the salesperson would get an extra commission for selling more pickles. Good for the economy and the child pocket.

There's another story that says the Christmas Pickle goes back to the Civil War. It was  Christmas Eve and a prisoner asked a guard for a pickle because he was starving. It saved his life and when he returned home, he began a tradition of putting a pickle on the Christmas tree. I like this story better.

So if you are in a pickle about what to do for Christmas this year, try hiding a pickle in the Christmas tree for your kids. What could possibly go wrong with that...I mean besides them tearing the tree apart?

What's your pickle tradition for the holidays?