spiderdust

I finally have my very own Christmas pickle.

What the heck is a Christmas pickle??

The Christmas pickle is an Old World German tradition. The hand-blown glass pickle was hidden deep in the branches of the family Christmas tree after all the other ornaments were in place. The child who found it first on Christmas morning received a special gift (adults who found the pickle were said to have good luck in the coming year).

The tradition of hiding a pickle inside the tree comes from a medieval folktale. The story tells of two Spanish boys traveling home from boarding school for the holidays. Weary from their travels, they stopped at an inn to spend the night. The innkeeper stole their possessions and stuffed the boys into a pickle barrel.

That evening, St. Nicholas stopped at the inn for a rest. He learned that the boys were inside the pickle barrel. St. Nicholas tapped the pickle barrel with his staff and the boys were miraculously restored. After thanking St. Nicholas, they continued on home for Christmas.

Maybe next year I can find a ~~Christmas~~ solstice mushroom.