For many, the holidays are all about traditions in the family and as the Christmas season approaches I’m reminded of one special tradition in my own family.
My father takes tremendous pride in decorating our Christmas tree. We love to help him pick out the ornaments and he places them in their specific spot on the tree. We often joke about how meticulous he is about decorating and it’s a special time for the family to be together, even now that I’m married and living away from homeOne of the traditions that stands out the most in my memory is the Christmas Pickle. Every year growing up, my father would hide this special pickle ornament in the tree and it was my job to find it hidden in the tree. Once I did find the ornament, I was given a special gift on Christmas Eve before opening all of my other presents on Christmas morning.
Legend says that the pickle, a symbol of good luck, was the last ornament placed upon the tree. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning was rewarded with an extra gift left by St. Nicholas. This tradition encourages children to appreciate all the beautiful ornaments, rather than rushing to open the presents left for them under the tree.
Being the only child in my family, searching for the ornament for that special present seemed a little silly, but it was also something I really enjoyed. My father was very good at hiding the ornament and it was often a challenge. This memory is one I’ll never forget and some day when I have children, I’ll pass this tradition along to them.
This season, we’re even celebrating the tradition of the Christmas Pickle at our retail store in Kidron, Ohio. If you have the opportunity, visit our store and see our pickle tree display!
Join us at Lehman’s in Kidron, Ohio for our Old-Fashioned Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 7, 10 am to 3 pm.
We’ll be featuring all kinds of activities, including:
- Ice sculpture show
- Crafts
- Games
- Food Samples
- Product demos
- Live music from local favorite, Honeytown
- Much more!
We hope to see you there!
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