A friend of a soldier who fought in the American Civil War by the name of John Lower, who was born in Bavaria in 1842, wrote that John (Hans Lauer) was captured during the war and imprisoned in Andersonville, Georgia. Starving, and in poor health, he begged for ‘Just one Pickle” from a guard before he died. The guard took pity, and found and gave John a Pickle. John said that the pickle, by the grace of God, gave him the mental and Physical strength to go on and live.
Once freed and returned to his family he began a tradition of hiding a pickle on the Christmas Tree. The first person to find the pickle on Christmas Morning would be blessed with a full year of good fortune. Today, the adult finder is still blessed a year of good fortune, the first child is rewarded with a special gift from Saint Nick.