A Christmas…. Pickle? By: Hope Menken

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Hardin-Simmons University (HSU), and that means it is the season for all of your favorite traditions like tree decorating, Christmas movies, gingerbread houses and pickles. You may find yourself scratching your head as one of these traditions does not match the rest; however, growing up with one German and one American parent, pickles are just one example of how these cultures meshed. 

According to German tradition, the very last ornament to be added to the tree is a pickle ornament, which is purposely hidden within the boughs. The children will hunt for it, and whoever finds it is given an additional gift. This tradition may have originated in the 1880s when Woolworths began importing various ornaments from Germany and then fabricated the story to increase sales, as not all Germans were familiar with it.

Another tradition is that of celebrating on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. While the traditional Christmas here is waking up early on Christmas Day to open presents, German festivities often take place in the evening on Christmas Eve. It is called “Heiligabend Bescherung” or “holy evening.” Many Germans believe that Jesus was born during the night of the 24th, and it is therefore seen as the primary event of Christmas rather than the beginning of the festivities. Christmas Day is often viewed as a time to spend with family, as shops and businesses are typically closed. 

In our family, we spend the day before and the early afternoon of Christmas Eve cooking and baking all sorts of treats to enjoy while decorating the tree. For breakfast, both Christmas Eve and day, we have bread pudding often topped with peaches and cream cheese. Once the tree has been decorated and the pickle found, we begin an annual Christmas movie marathon. We usually open one gift per person on Christmas Eve and the rest during the evening of Christmas Day, which is when we have our traditional Christmas dinner featuring ham, cranberry sauce and a sparkling cranberry drink that we make every year. 

Traditions can be seen everywhere, and in places like America, we have the opportunity to see a unique blend of cultures. However you celebrate, just remember the reason for this season. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” John 3:16.