Christmas is just over a month away, which means that millions of Americans are getting ready to bring out their best holiday tradition. One of the most beloved Christmas tradition is that of the Christmas pickle, and many people love hiding a pickle ornament somewhere in their tree during the holiday season.

Tradition says that whoever finds the pickle ornament in the tree will have good luck for the coming year. Sometimes, the pickle finder even gets their own special present to open!

Many believe that the pickle tradition comes from Germany, but this is actually not the case! Instead, this tradition has far more commercial origins than one would think. It was actually started by the legendary retailer Woolworths.

Back in the 1890s, Woolworths started exporting glass ornaments from Germany to their stores. German glass ornaments quickly became staples of American Christmas trees, which is why people equate pickled shape ornaments with Germany.

The reason why Americans think the Christmas pickle brings them luck dates back to the Civil War, when legend has it that Private John C. Lower, a Bavarian soldier who was fighting on the Union side, was captured by the Confederate Army. Lower was given such little food as a prisoner that he was soon starving, and on Christmas Eve, he begged for something to eat, even if it was just a pickle.

In the spirit of Christmas, the guard had mercy on him and gave Lower a pickle to eat. Lower would later say that the pickle saved his life and prevented him from starving to death. Lower told his family this story after he was released, and his loved ones then started hiding a pickle in their Christmas tree every year as a way to remember what he went through during the war.

Will you be hiding a pickle in your tree this year? Let us know in the comments section.