Legend of the Pickle
incl. VAT
plus shipping costs
incl. VAT
plus shipping costs
The custom around the Christmas pickle is widespread mainly in the USA, but gains more and more enthusiastic followers in Germany each year. The tradition brings the spirit of gift giving to life. Lucky is the one who first spots the glass Christmas pickle in the branches of the Christmas tree: he or she gets an extra gift. Not only the youngest can be inspired for the cheerful game: The Christmas pickles are available in our online shop in different sizes, so that the pickle can be adapted to the age of the seeker. Consequently, the small ornaments are the most difficult to find, because in color they hardly differ from the fir needles of the Christmas tree.
In our manufactory in Neustadt bei Coburg, Bavaria, all Christmas pickles are hand-blown and hand-painted. As a traditional glassblowing manufactory, we have always placed great value on the best materials and craftsmanship – this makes each of our high-quality Christmas pickles a unique piece that you will enjoy for many years. You can tell whether you are holding a genuine INGE-GLAS® ornament by the so-called Star Crown®. This is our quality mark and serves as a hanger with which the Christmas pickle can be hung to the Christmas tree. All ornaments are provided with a legend tag, which tells the custom around the Christmas pickle. You can get the glass ornaments here in the online shop in different sizes – from small to large or even with a Christmas hat.
If you do not want just one pickle or if you are looking for an extraordinary gift, you can also opt for our gift set that contains three different pickle sizes.
The original glass ornaments in the form of fruits and nuts originated in the glassblowing town of Lauscha in Thuringia in the mid-19th century as a substitute for real fruits, which until then had adorned Christmas trees. At the end of the 19th century, glass Christmas tree decorations – and with them the Christmas pickle – were first brought to the USA by Frank Winfield Woolworth. Although the custom around the Christmas pickle has been around for a long time, it is not very common in Germany. In the USA, on the other hand, the “Christmas Pickle” and the associated game “Hide the pickle” are well known. Many Americans even believe that it is an old German custom. “Hide the pickle” is played as follows: In the absence of all children, a Christmas pickle is hung in the Christmas tree. The pickle’s green color makes it perfect for hiding in the greenery of the tree. Afterwards, when the children come into the room for gift giving, they look for the Christmas pickle in the tree without touching it. Whoever discovers it first, receives an extra gift.
Whether the tradition around the Christmas pickle is really an old German tradition, as the Americans think, or whether it originated later in the USA: The cheerful game brings additional variety into the Christmas celebration and is huge fun not only for the little ones!
Even if the custom around the Christmas pickle is still not very common in Germany: the Christmas pickle is one of our top sellers in the online shop and enjoys greater popularity year after year. You really can’t go wrong with the green pickles: they look funny, can be used as decoration or as a game and are always beautiful to look at thanks to our craftsmanship.
