Traditional Christmas Ornaments across Europe: From Pickles and Pigs to Mushrooms & More
Walk into a Christmas shop in Vienna and you'll find far more than baubles. There are glass mushrooms, pigs, gherkins and even spiders, and each one has a story that explains how it ended up on a tree. As these ornaments travel further from home, the stories tend to get lost along the way, so here are ten of our favourites and what they mean.
1. The Lucky Mushroom (Glückspilz)
The red-and-white fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) is one of the best-known luck symbols in German-speaking Europe; in German, a lucky person is a Glückspilz, literally a "lucky mushroom". Hang one on the tree for good fortune in the year ahead (and leave the real ones in the forest, as they're poisonous). Read the full story in our guide to the Glücklicher Pilz, or browse our glass mushroom ornaments.
2. Lucky Pigs (Glücksschwein)
In Germany and Austria, pigs stand for plenty, and the phrase Schwein gehabt ("had pig") still means "got lucky". Marzipan pigs are handed out at New Year, and the glass versions do the same job on the tree all season long. More in Lucky Pigs at Christmas, or see our pig bauble.
3. The Christmas Pickle (Weihnachtsgurke)
The first person to find the glass gherkin hidden in the branches on Christmas morning wins good luck, and often an extra present. It's usually described as a German tradition, but in a 2016 survey 91% of Germans had never heard of it; the custom is far better known in the United States. Find out how to play in our Christmas pickle guide, then pick a pickle from our food ornaments.
4. The Silent Night Chapel
"Silent Night" was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, near Salzburg. Repeated floods later forced the town to rebuild upstream and the old church was demolished, but a small octagonal memorial chapel opened on the same spot in 1937, and it still draws visitors every December. Ornaments of the chapel under snow are a quiet favourite with collectors; find them among our buildings.
5. The Frog Prince
Frogs are a newer addition to the European tree, and the crowned frog is the most popular of all. He comes from "The Frog King", the very first story in the Brothers Grimm collection, where a frog turns out to be a prince; on the tree he stands for luck in love, or simply a good sense of humour. Our large crowned frog is one of our most-viewed ornaments.
6. Christmas Angels
Angels carry the oldest meaning on this list: protection, and the news of Christ's birth brought to the shepherds. In Poland and the Czech Republic they're made in straw, wood and glass, and they're as likely to be found on the top of the tree as in its branches. See our figures.
7. The Chimney Sweep (Rauchfangkehrer)
In Austria and Germany, crossing paths with a chimney sweep is lucky, and around New Year sweeps (and little figures of them) are handed out as Glücksbringer, or good-luck charms. The idea is practical at heart: a clean chimney meant a warm, safe house for the winter.
8. The Christmas Spider
According to Ukrainian legend (a version is told in Germany too), a poor widow and her children had nothing to decorate their tree. Overnight, spiders spun webs across the branches, and in the morning light the webs turned to silver and gold. The story is often linked to the origins of tinsel, and many Ukrainian families still hang a spider ornament for luck. Prefer to wear yours? Our spider brooch is hand-set with crystals.
9. The Christmas Rooster
This one travels a little further than the rest. In Spain and Latin America, midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is the Misa del Gallo, the Mass of the Rooster, named for the rooster said to have crowed at the birth of Christ. A rooster on the tree is a symbol of vigilance and of light after darkness. See our birds.
10. The Acorn
The oak has been a symbol of strength in Germany for centuries. An acorn on the tree is a small wish for strength in the year ahead, and a reminder that great things start small. Browse our nature ornaments.
Mixing old traditions
Most of these began as folk beliefs rather than written rules, so there's no wrong way to use them. Hang a mushroom for luck, a pig for plenty and a pickle for the kids to find, or look up more meanings in our A–Z of Christmas ornament meanings.
Updated November 2026