Are Christmas pickle ornaments really a German tradition?

"Legend has it that when Germans decorate their Christmas tree, the very last ornament they hang on it is a pickle. Usually made from shiny or matte green glass rather than cucumbers, the Christmas Pickle is much more than just a decoration. On Christmas Eve, the first child to find the pickle hidden amongst the branches on the tree is said to get good luck for the year to come, as well as an extra present."

"If you ask someone from the American Midwest, they will most likely be able to tell you all about this German festive custom. Germans, on the other hand, will have absolutely no idea what you're on about. In December 2016, a YouGov survey found that only 7 percent of Germans had ever heard of the 'Weihnachtsgurke'. What's more, only 6 percent of Germans with children who know about the Christmas Pickle actually practise the tradition."

"Though no one is entirely sure where the Weihnachtsgurke originates from, with a number of German newspapers even publishing explainer articles for the puzzled German public, it's pretty likely that whoever brought it to the USA capitalized on the popularity of these German Christmas traditions when marketing pickle ornaments to American consumers. On the packaging of a lot of pickle ornaments you can find an explanation of how to carry out the 'time-honoured German tradition', emphasizing how it's an 'Old World custom'."

The Weihnachtsgurke, or Christmas Pickle, is a custom in which a pickle-shaped ornament—often green glass—is hidden on the Christmas tree, and the first child to find it on Christmas Eve receives good luck and an extra present. Many Americans, especially in the Midwest, believe this to be a German tradition, but most Germans are unfamiliar with it. A 2016 YouGov survey found only 7 percent of Germans had heard of the Weihnachtsgurke, and only 6 percent of those with children practiced it. The origin remains unclear; marketing to American consumers likely framed the ornament as an 'Old World' German custom.

Read at The Local Germany