The History of Why Texans Love Eating a Pickle While Watching a Movie

A common weekend activity for many in Texas is to head to their local movie theater for a couple of hours of big screen entertainment. After getting our tickets, the first place we'll head to before heading into the auditorium is the concession stand. We need that large popcorn with extra butter and a large drink before finding our seat. But did you know that Texas is the only state where enjoying a pickle with our movie is a thing? Let's look at the history of why that is.

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Giant Pickles in a Jar

For those of us of a certain age (I am 45), pickles at the movie theater are a thing. I can remember being able to order a pickle that would come out of a huge jar of pickles. They were so big that tongs had to be used to get them out. Nowadays, those pickles come individually wrapped in vinegar. Just cut a hole in the bottom to drain the juice than chow down.

But how did pickles at the movies become a thing?

It dates back to the early 1800's when German's migrated here. German descendants rank behind only Hispanics as the largest immigrant groups in Texas. As a matter of fact, its about 17 percent of Texas' population (tshaonline.org). Those Germans who immigrated here enjoyed the theater and would eat bread, knackwurst, mustard and pickles to keep their energy up during a long opera (kxan.com). That tradition has stuck around since then.

Culture Shock

So yeah, if you move away from Texas and enjoy a pickle with your movie, you'll probably have to bring one with you in a Ziploc. If you have someone visiting from out of state, they're probably going to look at you with a raised eyebrow when you order a pickle with your popcorn because they don't have it there.

Just another weird and extremely unique reason to love living in Texas.