Finding the Christmas…pickle?

For Linda Chastain’s family, Christmas is not complete without a pickle hide and seek around the tree…

Linda Chastain’s parents emigrated from Germany in the 1920s. They brought with them many German Christmas customs, including that of the Christmas pickle.

In the Chastain household, the pickle hunt has been a meaningful part of the family’s Christmas celebration for many years. As the children and then grandchildren have grown, the hiding of the pickle has gone from simple – close to the outside edge of the tree – to difficult, higher and toward the inside of the tree.

In the family, the mother or grandmother is the one tasked with the role of cleverly hiding the Christmas pickle while everyone else enjoys the hunt.

This year, the family continues the tradition with its newest member, Chastain’s great grandson, Zane, who will be helping his mom, Chastain’s granddaughter Amanda, hunt for the Christmas pickle.