November 14 is National Pickle Day. Mad Magazine has seven ways to celebrate the event.
- Spend the day with your children, Half-Sour and Polish Dill
- Buy an economy jar of pickle slices and distribute them one by one to random passersby
- Order a Pastrami sandwich at your local deli and tell them to “hold the pastrami sandwich”
- Dig out that jar of gherkins that’s been hiding behind the mustard in your fridge since 2002
- Convert to Judaism so you can properly enjoy a kosher dill
- Visit a cucumber in the produce section and whisper, “Someday, my sweet.”
- Eat pickle
The term pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the United States, the word pickle typically refers to a pickled cucumber. However, just about any fruit or vegetable can be pickled.
The practice of pickling has existed for thousands of years. The process ensured a degree of preservation otherwise impossible in pre-modern conditions and was essential in providing a mobile supply of provisions for travelers as well as a dependable source of nutrition for those living through barren winters. While a diverse set of foods can be pickled, the cucumber emerges as the dominant food that is most associated with the idea of both pickling and the word “pickle” itself. Archaeologists believe that the first evidence of pickled cucumbers originates from Tigris river valley civilizations, and the nutritional benefits of the food would go on to be lauded by such historical figures as Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.