A Christmas Pickle, An Elf On The Shelf And A Trinket In A King Cake! Are These New To You??

You are never to old to learn

Here are a couple of Christmas traditions I have just become aware of.

The Christmas Pickle is hidden on Christmas trees for children to find.  The one who discovers the pickle has good luck all year long.  The tradition began in Germany and came to the U.S. in the early 20th-century.  You can buy a Christmas Pickle at most ornament stores.

Ever hear of the Christmas Pickle?

The Elf on the Shelf is a little character who "watches the children every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then reports back on their doings each night to Santa at the North Pole."  The story was told in a self published book in 2005, although the story has been around for decades.  The book became the biggest self-published book ever, and actually spent 6 weeks on the Barnes and Noble best seller list.

The New Orleans King Cake is a Mardi Gras (and Christmas) tradition in the south, particularly the Bayou Country around New Orleans.  This coffee cake is decorated in purple, yellow, green and blues (the colors of Mardi Gras).  Inside each cake a trinket is baked.  Most often it is a little Baby Jesus.  Sometimes the trinkets a\can become highly collectible (see the sterling silver jester above, which is baked in the King Cake).  The finder of the trinket, like the pickle, is guaranteed good luck for the following year.

Ever heard of the New Orleans King Cake?