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12/19/2003: "The Yule Log"

Many of our Christmas traditions have resulted from the fact that early Christians wanted the celebration of the birth of Christ to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the "birthday of the unconquered sun" (natalis solis invicti). I guess everybody had the day off already. Anyway, this festival celebrated the winter solstice. The winter solstice, of course, was celebrated all over the ancient world, so Christmas traditions as we know them developed from many interesting sources. The Yule Log was one of these "what's that got to do with...?" traditions. Click more.. below.

On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. German and Celtic Yule rites were added to these observances when Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain, and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, and gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fire and light, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian.

Originally, the Yule Log was burned to honor the gods and to bring good luck in the coming year. The log was usually from one of the largest trees available. Because it was so massive, a team of horses or oxen was needed to haul it. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Yule Log tradition was passed on to the British and evolved into today's tradition.

After being cut down, the Yule Log was dragged through the streets. The log always came from the landowner's or a neighbor's property and was never purchased. It was always burned on Christmas Eve, accompanied by music, fun, and games. Each year, a piece of the Yule Log was saved and used to start the fire for the next year's log.

To help kindle the fire, holly was placed under the log. Customarily, guests would toss a sprig of holly into the fire to burn up the troubles of the past year and to keep their houses safe from burning down in the new year.

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