Things my life definitely does not need in it, number 9538

[nineveh_uk]

Gherkin Christmas tree baulbles:



I am working from home today in order to attempt to get going on a report that I am not managing to find a moment for in the office, nor indeed when I worked from home on Friday. First step: stop looking at terrible Christmas decorations.

Comments

[azdak]

It looks like a normal (if horribly coloured) bauble that's melted.

[alithea]

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[nineveh_uk]

It should be put out of its misery. But it turns out they are Traditional in the US, which explains everything.

[alithea]

Ah! It did seem an incredibly random thing to decide to make a decoration based on!

[nineveh_uk]

It did! The Wikipedia entry made a lot more sense when it fit it possibly in the tradition of ornamental fruit. I mean, I don't like wax fruit either, but at least I understand the concept.

[nineveh_uk]

There was an unfortunate accident with a furnace...

But according to ellen_fremedon below it is a US 'tradition' and known thing rather than a random choice by the manufacturer. I still think it looks hideous, but at least it is explained!

[azdak]

And at least the tradition is that it's a weird and out-of-place thing to find on a Christmas tree rather than, say, a replacement for the star.

[nineveh_uk]

"Oh gherkin of wonder, gherkin of light, gherkin of royal beauty bright!"

[ellen_fremedon]

These are actually traditional in the US! For an 'invented as a late-19th-century marketed campaign' definition of tradition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pickle. We never had one, but my cousins always did.

[nineveh_uk]

Mystery solved, thank you! It's amazing how many Christmas traditions are just advertising really.

[lizvogel]

I have one of those. It amuses me.

[nineveh_uk]

I don't think I'm going to be hastening out to acquire one, but I can see they could be quite fun if they were your tradition.

[lizvogel]

Actually, I'm not sure the "tradition" is as wide-spread as Wikipedia would have one believe; I'd never heard of it before I saw the ornament. I just have a fondness for anything shiny this time of year, and it seemed such an odd thing to make an ornament of, I had to have one.

My tastes have been acknowledged to be just a bit peculiar, sometimes.

[aunty_marion]

I went to Tiger (Flying Tiger, now...) today, to look at their christmas ornaments. I didn't buy any, but while they didn't have any gherkins, they did have a hot dog. (In either tin or glass?) As a christmas tree ornament.

[nineveh_uk]

I love Tiger, but a hot dog Christmas ornament is definitely a bit weird. I know Denmark is obsessed with hot dogs, but there are limits!