You've got six months to carve your pickle.
June 21, 2018 8:01 AM Subscribe
Pickle carving. Not this Pickle. Getting closer. Gorgeous, but still not there. No, I'm talking about the instructions here for carving not just any pickle, but the CHRISTMAS PICKLE.
There's a Christmas pickle? Oh yes. For some families it's a tradition. There are claims it came from Germany, but that's disputed and there multiple legends. Maybe the truth is in here? We can dig deeper but may never know its real origins.
But does it matter? Celebrate the pickle. Compose poetry. Sing a song. You could buy them instead of carving, I guess. And it may not be German, but that doesn't mean you can't bring the Weihnachtsgurke to Germany.
Oh, and when Christmas is done, how to dispose of your pickle.
(also a pickle carving, though maybe not for Christmas.)
There's a Christmas pickle? Oh yes. For some families it's a tradition. There are claims it came from Germany, but that's disputed and there multiple legends. Maybe the truth is in here? We can dig deeper but may never know its real origins.
But does it matter? Celebrate the pickle. Compose poetry. Sing a song. You could buy them instead of carving, I guess. And it may not be German, but that doesn't mean you can't bring the Weihnachtsgurke to Germany.
Oh, and when Christmas is done, how to dispose of your pickle.
(also a pickle carving, though maybe not for Christmas.)
Yessssss
posted by cortex at 8:16 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex at 8:16 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
My tree has three pickles. Three. I come from German immigrant country and we do not fuck around.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:41 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by middleclasstool at 8:41 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
i really thought EmpressCallipygos wanted carvings made from actual pickles, which is the "Gorgeous, but still not there" video. I'm always amazed by food sculptures.
anyways, I've never heard of the christmas pickle, but I also have never had a big christmas tree to do that with.
posted by numaner at 8:58 AM on June 21, 2018
anyways, I've never heard of the christmas pickle, but I also have never had a big christmas tree to do that with.
posted by numaner at 8:58 AM on June 21, 2018
This is exactly the kind of content that brings me back to Metafilter every day. Fantastic post!
posted by wires at 9:00 AM on June 21, 2018
posted by wires at 9:00 AM on June 21, 2018
i really thought EmpressCallipygos wanted carvings made from actual pickles, which is the "Gorgeous, but still not there" video. I'm always amazed by food sculptures.
This is indeed what I'd initially envisioned, but I'm tickled this happened at all.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:07 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is indeed what I'd initially envisioned, but I'm tickled this happened at all.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:07 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
I feel proud of whatever small role I played in bringing this post to fruition.
posted by waninggibbon at 9:13 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by waninggibbon at 9:13 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Atlas Obscura’s own Tyler Cole grew up in a military family, and lived in Germany twice. His mother picked up the tradition and hides the pickle every year.
Context!
Seriously, this is an awesome post. I'd never heard of this tradition. Thanks, schroedinger and waninggibbon!
posted by zarq at 9:35 AM on June 21, 2018
Context!
Seriously, this is an awesome post. I'd never heard of this tradition. Thanks, schroedinger and waninggibbon!
posted by zarq at 9:35 AM on June 21, 2018
Enough gherkin around. Get back to work.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:26 AM on June 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:26 AM on June 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
i really thought EmpressCallipygos wanted carvings made from actual pickles
Yes, my brain wanted this in its most literal sense. I'm so happy this post exists.
posted by Fizz at 11:35 AM on June 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Yes, my brain wanted this in its most literal sense. I'm so happy this post exists.
posted by Fizz at 11:35 AM on June 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Hm. I'm going to be thinking about some new Christmas traditions this year, maybe this is a good addition. I'm sure there's German blood in me somewhere.
posted by emjaybee at 11:49 AM on June 21, 2018
posted by emjaybee at 11:49 AM on June 21, 2018
I enjoy how the actual woodcarving video has a note at the top "Always wear a carver's glove and a thumb guard" two things the guy in the video is absolutely not doing.
posted by emjaybee at 11:50 AM on June 21, 2018
posted by emjaybee at 11:50 AM on June 21, 2018
The pickle! The great chieftain of the fermented race! I've never seen any pickle carving in Canada but Montreal has a long association with the deli pickle. One of the best purveyors of the pickle, IMHO, is Moishe's Steakhouse (a favorite of Leonard Cohen). You can watch how they are made here.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:00 PM on June 21, 2018
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:00 PM on June 21, 2018
Don't take any wooden pickles kid.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:28 PM on June 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:28 PM on June 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
So this is actually a thing then. I always thought that bit in Bad Santa was just a particularly random piece of weirdness.
posted by calamari kid at 5:10 PM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by calamari kid at 5:10 PM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is indeed what I'd initially envisioned, but I'm tickled this happened at all.
that was my original intention until "pickle carving" led me into a Christmas Pickle Hole from which there was no escape
posted by Anonymous at 8:31 PM on June 21, 2018
that was my original intention until "pickle carving" led me into a Christmas Pickle Hole from which there was no escape
posted by Anonymous at 8:31 PM on June 21, 2018
My tree has three pickles. Three. I come from German immigrant country and we do not fuck around.
Mein Baum, der hat drei Gurken
Drei Gurken, hat mein Baum
Und hätt er nicht drei Gurken
So wär es nicht mein Baum
???
posted by the_blizz at 11:06 PM on June 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Mein Baum, der hat drei Gurken
Drei Gurken, hat mein Baum
Und hätt er nicht drei Gurken
So wär es nicht mein Baum
???
posted by the_blizz at 11:06 PM on June 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
WELL I'M GOING TO SING THIS EVERY YEAR NOW, THANK YOU
posted by middleclasstool at 6:36 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by middleclasstool at 6:36 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Christmas Pickle Hole
posted by middleclasstool at 6:39 AM on June 22, 2018
posted by middleclasstool at 6:39 AM on June 22, 2018
if you wanna get into the Christmas hole/you've got to pay the pickle toll
posted by Anonymous at 6:09 AM on June 24, 2018
posted by Anonymous at 6:09 AM on June 24, 2018
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This really makes me want to plan a pickle-carving MeFi meetup in December.
posted by duffell at 8:15 AM on June 21, 2018