Tradition of the Yule Log

The Yuletide season stirs up many wonderful memories for each of us. We remember those past celebrations with our friends and families and the special traditions carried on year after year. For me the yule tree was special. On the morning of Yule, Dad wouldn’t let my brother and I come downstairs until he turned on the tree lights and the stereo that played those familiar carols.

There are many traditions that have gone by the wayside. The burning of the Yule log is a Yule tradition that has all but died in practice, but the custom lives on in nostalgic images of our past. The following is an article provided by the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program.

"An integral part of Yule celebrations throughout Feudal Europe, the Yule log came to America directly from England, which inherited the tradition from the pagans of Northern Europe.

There were many regional variations on the ritual, but the English version—the one we know best—was probably the simplest. On Yule Eve, members of the household ventured into the woods to find and cut a great tree, preferably an oak. Size was important, because the Yule log had to burn throughout the twelve days of Yule. Once cut, the log was dragged home with much celebration. As many people as possible grabbed onto the ropes to help pull, because doing so was believed to bring good luck in the new year. Even passersby raised their hats in tribute.

The Yule log was dragged to the hearth of the great open fireplace—a common household feature in old England. The log was lit with a scrap of burned log carefully preserved from the previous year, a practice that ensured the continuity of good fortune not only from year to year, but also from generation to generation.

One popular aspect of the Yule log tradition was that no unnecessary work would take place in or around the household as long as the log burned. This season of merriment and reflection was a time for respite from daily labors.

When the twelve days of Yule had passed, the remaining scraps of wood were stored carefully until the next year, when they would be needed to light another Yule log. The wood scraps usually were stored under the bed of the mistress of the household, where they held the promise of success to the entire manor. Historical accounts differ in the bundle’s specific function. Some say it protected the home from fire, some say from lightening, and still others from all manner of ailments during the coming year.

Sometimes Yule log ashes were mixed with livestock feed and spread on the fields to ensure the health of the manor’s animals and crops. Uncharred pieces of the log were often made into ceremonial plowshares to guarantee the fertility of the soil.

The Yule log ritual is one of many ceremonies and beliefs associated with our ancestors�?reverence for the living symbol of the forest. The origins of the Yule log are thought to lie in the ancient tradition of nature worship. In the days of the forest primeval, when wandering tribes began to settle in one spot, they cleared land for their dwellings but always left one central grove of trees. In the middle of the grove grew the "mother tree," which symbolized the source of all life for the ancient settlers.

Most of us feel the stirring of ancestral memory when we venture deep into the woods or sit in quiet contemplation before an open fire. But we also are rediscovering, on a more practical level, the many biological and environmental benefits of our forests. Acknowledging this vital link to our forests and the need to maintain them in perpetuity is the essence of "stewardship.

Yule Log Basics:

The burning of a Yule log is for bringing luck to a household for the coming year. It is considered bad luck to buy one, so make your own. It is not considered bad luck to get one as a gift, so you may want to make extras.

It should be lit with a piece saved from the previous year.

Traditionally it is burned during Yule Eve dinner, and should burn for the duration

This is another great Christmas project. It can serve as a centerpiece for your table or mantle, then be burned as a Yule Log. Although many of the original traditions regarding Yule logs have passed from common usage, the comfort of burning a "special" log remains. They are well suited to gift giving, and can be made with little or no cost (unless you live in a really urban area). Although this is not a candle, I have included it here since it is made with wax.

NOTE: This is not a candle! You will need a fireplace if you intend to burn this!

Materials
The materials needed are

a dried log, evergreen foliage,

pine cones,

berries (preferably red),

hot glue gun,

wax, and wax colorant of choice.

Optional: staple gun, cinnamon sticks, any other embellishments you care to add (dried Baby's Breath gives this a distinctly Victorian look).

Step 1
Select a log. If you plan to burn this in a traditional manner, select the largest that will fit your fireplace. Generally a well dried log over 6 inches in diameter and about 18 inches long will do.

Step 2
Head outdoors and collect some fresh pine branches or branches from any type of evergreen. Find some small to medium pine cones, and try to find some red Holly Berries. Store bought berries (floral department of most craft stores) can be substituted, but will have to be removed before burning.

Step 3
Glue or staple the branches to the log in a pleasing arrangement.
Optional: Pour or drip colored wax over the log before adding any foliage.

Step 4
Add the berries. If using artificial berries, use a single staple or dab of glue to ease later removal.

Step 5
Optional: use hot glue to add cinnamon sticks.

Step 6
Glue on the pine cones. Concentrate most in the center, but add some at random among the foliage.

Step 7
Prepare some colored wax in one or more colors and dribble it over the entire project. The following colors look quite nice - Gold and Burgundy, Burgundy and Dark Green, Red and Green, White, or White in combination with any of the previous colors.

Step 8
Enjoy.