The Christmas Pickle Ornament. A Myth?

I'm certain many of you have heard the legend of the Christmas Pickle ornament. Supposedly, this was a German tradition.  As the story goes, in Germany, after the Christmas tree was fully decorated and the children sent off to bed, mother and father would hang one last ornament in the shape of a pickle, deep inside the branches of the tree.  On Christmas morning, the child who found the pickle-shaped ornament got an extra gift and was blessed with good luck for the coming year.  I am of German descent, both on my mother and father's side of the family.  We never carried on this tradition.  But that is not to say that I am opposed to hanging a pickle shaped ornament on my tree.

So, I bought one.  "The Christmas Pickle."

Here is the story on the label of the jar containing the Christmas pickle.

The Christmas pickle safely tucked away in raffia.

And finally, the ornament.

Like I said, I'm happy to hang a pickle shaped ornament on my tree.  I think it's cute.  And if it brings me good luck for 2015, all the better.  I would also like to get an extra gift.  So if I hang two pickles on the tree, do I get two extra gifts.  Of course, I'm making fun.  I think maybe somebody was trying to come up with a way to sell Christmas ornaments in the shape of pickles.  Who knows.  But it does make me want to do a small tree in the kitchen trimmed with ornaments in the shape of fruits and vegetables.  I'll have to work on that for next year.

Is the German Pickle Ornament legend real or a myth?  I think a myth.