Yule Log, an Ancient Christmas Tradition

Bring a Touch of Authentic Tradition to your Holiday Celebrations

Aug 19, 2008

Finding and crafting a Yule Log is a Christmas tradition that can involve your kids in the magic of the holiday season with no shopping required.

Burning a Yule Log is a lovely tradition, with origins in the distant pasts of cold European winters. As Christianity slowly spread across Europe, many of the old pagan traditions were co-opted to celebrate nearby holy days. The winter was a harsh time of hardship and communal living in ancient Europe, and the tradition of the Yule Log reminded people that this was the low-water mark of the year, and that the light would begin to return.

Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is the time of the longest night (21 or 22 December, depending on the leap year cycles), and was one of the ancient Fire Festivals. The Yule Log is the remnants of this ancient ritual, adapted to celebrate the birth of Christ. In this form it was practised throughout Europe, particularly in England, Germany, France and some parts of central Europe.

In England the Yule Log was a large log which was brought to the fire, large enough that it would not go out on the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The remains of this log were kept over the following year, and the remains of the old log were lit and used to light the fresh Yule Log on the next Christmas Eve.

In Germany the Yule Log, called the Christbrand, was often a block of oak, and drawn from the fire as soon as it was slightly charred. Over the year it would be replaced in the hearth whenever there was a thunderstorm. The belief was that the Yule Log would protect the house against lightning, a belief possibly derived from the ancient association of the oak tree with the god of thunder.

French tradition had the Yule Log soaked with alcohol in the form of wines and spirits, which created a special aroma when the log burned.

Making a Yule Log – a Modern-Day Tradition

Many modern houses do not have a fireplace, so the tradition of burning a special piece of oak kindled with the previous year’s log is not practical. Some of the tradition and symbolism can be preserved, however, in the modern derivation, common in Europe over the last forty years. In this a small log, preferably oak, of about three inches (8cm) diameter is split lengthways down the middle to make two halves, and one of these is used, trimmed to about two feet (60cm) in length.

Three holes, about 1inch (2.5cm) are bored into this log to hold three large candles, to form a rustic candleholder for the special night of Christmas Eve. This is a combination of the ancient tradition of the Yule Log with the English tradition of the Christmas Candles, which together with the log would turn illuminate the long night as if it were day.

Of course, care must be taken to never leave candles unattended, not to let the three candles burn right down to the wood, and to place the Yule Log on a non-flammable surface like stone before lighting the candles.

The log can be used year on year, carrying the tradition forward. One particularly nice part of the tradition of the Yule Log is that it should never be bought, so it has to be made. In one variant of the story from England grocers would give their regular customers the Christmas candles – nowadays friends and family can give each other candles to avoid infringing this old taboo. In this way the Yule Log remains a refreshing reminder of this special time in the middle of winter, free of the commercialism that can spoil Christmastime.

Victorian Confectionery

In Victorian times pastrymakers created Christmas cakes in the shape of a log, and named their creation after the original yule log. These cakes remain a holiday favourite.

WPIX TV program

A New York TV station, WPIX, broadcast a TV program in 1966 of a Yule Log burning in the grate of the then New York Mayor. The soundtrack carried a mixture fo fire crackling and Christmas carols. This was a surprise hit, presumably with the many residents who did not have an open fire. It honoured the non-commercial tradition by being broadcast ad-free, until commercialism caught up in 1990 when it was cancelled.

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The copyright of the article Yule Log, an Ancient Christmas Tradition in Crafts is owned by Richard Mudhar. Permission to republish Yule Log, an Ancient Christmas Tradition in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.