<P> This tradition is commonly believed by Americans to come from Germany and be referred to as a Weihnachtsgurke, but this is probably apocryphal . In fact, the tradition is completely unknown in Germany . It has been suggested that the origin of the Christmas pickle may have been developed for marketing purposes in the 1890s to coincide with the importation of glass Christmas tree decorations from Germany . Woolworths was the first company to import these types of decorations into the United States in 1890, and glass blown decorative vegetables were imported from France from 1892 onwards . Despite the evidence showing that the tradition did not originate in Germany, the concept of Christmas pickles has since been imported from the United States and they are now on sale in the country traditionally associated with it . </P> <P> One suggested origin has been that the tradition came from Camp Sumter during the American Civil War . The Bavarian - born Private John C. Lower had enlisted in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry, but was captured in April 1864 and taken to the prison camp . As the story is told, on Christmas Eve he begged a guard for a pickle while starving . The guard provided the pickle, which Lower later credited for saving his life . After returning to his family, he began a tradition of hiding a pickle on their Christmas tree each year . </P> <P> Another origin which comes from Berrien Springs is a Victorian era tale of St. Nicholas saving two Spanish children who were trapped in a barrel of pickles by an innkeeper . </P>

Where did the pickle in the christmas tree come from