And a Pickle in a Pine Tree

This is part three of the “Twelve Posts of Christmas,” a series exploring twelve traditions of the Christmas season.

On the first day of Christmas my mother always hides a pickle in our pine tree. Do not fear — the beloved object is not actually a cucumber soaked in pickling juices, but a glass ornament crafted to resemble a whole Kosher dill. The tradition began in my family well before I was born, so, like all the best traditions, it began some time ago — the exact date and hour obscured from collective memory.