Weird Christmas Tree Ornaments

Before you go nuts decorating your Christmas Tree, we wanted to let you know about some strange decorations you may want to add to your collection this year.  The fine folks at the Fall River Historical Society let us peak through their gift shop's assortment of holiday decorations and explained a few of the ornaments that had us scratching our heads.

The German Christmas Pickle: Tradition says that parents would hide a pickle in the tree on Christmas Eve. In the morning, the most observant child would find the pickle and earn themselves an extra gift.  If an adult finds the pickle, the adult will have good luck for the whole year.  If you see a glass pickle ornament somewhere, now you'll know why! (PS- we hid the pickle near the mushroom!)

The Glass Carrot: This funny thing also has its roots in German tradition. If you knew someone getting married, you would give them a glass carrot ornament for their tree. It was believed to bring them good luck in the kitchen. This explains a lot in my household.

Krampus:  Krampus is said to be a horned figure who punishes children during the Christmas season for misbehaving.  Krampus was invented as the counterpart to St. Nicholas and was said to swat wicked children and take them away to his lair. If you really want to keep your kids in check, hang Krampus right at eye level as a nice reminder to behave.

For these and tons of other great glass ornaments and holiday decorations, check out the Fall River Historical Society's gift shop. You can even pick up some Krampus cards while you're there!