A bit of the burnt-down candle was also preserved from one year to the next as a lucky charm for the household. The Book of Christmas Folklore. This article provides more Yule log lore. The custom of burning the Yule Log began with the ancient Scandinavians who burned a huge log, felled from and Ash tree, to honour their god Thor. The first reference of the tradition of the Yule Log can be found in Norse Mythology. The Norsemen believed that the sun was a giant wheel of fire which rolled away from the earth, and then began rolling back again on the winter solstice. In a year as tumultuous as 2020, we'd rather not time travel to the past. They also serve cakes shaped like the logs and call them Yule cakes. When Christianity came to Europe in the fourth century, many families continued to celebrate the Yule log tradition inside their own homes, turning the pagan ritual into a practice associated with Christmas. It was unlucky to buy a yule log. It’s origins are unclear, but it was first recorded in 1184. For example, the yule log, as in the lyric “See the blazing yule before us,” was originally a real tree limb or trunk burnt on the hearth, but now makes an appearance at Christmastime as a cake shaped like a log. The tradition originated in Scandinavia, says the Why Christmas website, then spread to the Celtic Brits and Gaelic Europeans, who believed that burning a yule log would bring good luck for the upcoming year. In 1840 there were 6 Yule families living in New York. The Christmas celebration is sometimes even called Yule, from the Scandinavian … … While the Yule log tradition has become somewhat less commonplace in recent years, it has experienced a resurgence with the popularity of videos featuring crackling Yule logs, on websites like YouTube and Netflix. Care was taken to keep it burning at least as long as the hosts were still up (if not all night, depending on regional custom). The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a Christmas tradition in regions of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, and subsequently the Americas. The Yule log tradition had many accompanying rules, and failure to adhere to them exactly risked bad luck. The Christmas Chocolate Yule Log we all know and love, actually represents the historical practice of collecting and burning a very large log in the hearth, throughout the Christmas season. The log, a phallic symbol, is usually cut from an Oak tree, symbolic of the god. With spring, the days would become longer and would mean the rebirth of the Sun. Opie, Iona and Moira Tatem. Yule Log. The Yule Log, an ancient symbol of the season, came to us from the Celts. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Once burned, the ashes from the logs were kept as protection against evil and misfortune. New York: Seabury Press, 1973. Interestingly, the Yule log was originally an entire tree! Yule Log Cakes. Once practiced by the Vikings and Germanic people, the burning of the Yule Log, was a part of the celebrations of the winter solstice. II, p. 903). Advertisement. It originally aired from 1966 to 1989 on New York City television station WPIX (channel 11), which revived the broadcast in 2001. They also couldn't be handled with unwashed hands, and it was considered especially bad luck if the log did not catch fire on the first attempt to light it. The Old Norse 'jol' seems to have been borrowed in Old French as 'olif', which gave way to the Modern French 'joli'; "pretty, nice," originally "festive". The first step towards lighting the yule log was fetching the carefully-preserved scrap of the previous year’s log from under the homeowner’s bed. Back to Classic Yule Log. Despite its long affiliation with the Christian holiday of Christmas, the Yule log actually has its roots in pagan Norse mythology. London: Cassell, 1995. Somewhere along the way, the idea of the yule log was transformed into a dessert. Well, like so many of the holiday's traditions, its origins are a bit complex. In ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated at the Feast of Saturnalia, to honor Saturn, the god of agricultural bounty. It is a symbol of prosperity and luck. Pickering, David. This material may not be reproduced without permission. The new log had to catch fire during the first attempt at lighting it; its failure to do so was a sign of misfortune coming to the family. Such an important duty had to be handled gravely. A Yule log is a special log burnt on a hearth during the Yuletide season. ISBN 0-8164-9158-5 (p. 18). Dictionary of Superstitions. Yule means feasting, and tide means time (period of time). Yule comes from the old Norse jól and Old English géohol which was a season of hunting after the harvest was done. Lucky ones were obtained from one’s own land or from a neighbor’s wood. In order to avoid falling afoul of the age-old axiom, "Who deduced it produced it," all we'll say is that the audio is authentic. Once lit, the log had to be kept burning for twelve hours. Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest. The log itself is traditionally the largest, hardest log that can be gotten from the nearby forest with the intention that it will burn hotly and brightly through the longest night of the year. Watching ‘Yule Logs’ on Screens: A Short, Crackling History The holiday tradition of the yule-log video started with 17 seconds of footage in 1966. The Yule Log is a tradition possibly of Germanic or Nordic origin. Everything to do with them was fraught with ritual — certain formulas had to be followed very carefully lest disaster befall the household in the upcoming year. The word "yule" gets thrown around a lot during the Christmas season, but what does it even mean? ISBN 0-19-282916-5 (p. 77). Coffin, Tristram. The tradition originated in Scandinavia, then spread to the Celtic Brits and Gaelic Europeans, who believed that burning a yule log would bring good luck. nutrition-modal. As far back as the Iron Age, predating the Medieval era, Celts and Gaelic Europeans would gather together to celebrate the winter solstice at the end of December, according to History. It is believed, if the tradition is followed with sincerity and devotion, it would bring good health, wealth and productivity in the year ahead. The Original WPIX Yule Log. For starters, the logs couldn't be purchased; they had to come from the homeowner or a neighbor's land, per Snopes. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Edit. The most Yule families were found in and Scotland in 1841and Scotland in 1851and Scotland in 1861and Scotland in 1871and Scotland in 1881and Scotland in 1891and Scotland in 1901. Share options. The candles and lights associated with Christmas, meant to symbolize guiding beacons for the Christ child, may have evolved from the Yule log, which was lit to entice the Sun to return as part of the jol (Yule) festival in pagan Scandinavia. The Yule Log was originally an entire tree, that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The Christmas tree is mystical Tammuz, the slain god come to life again. Shadows cast upon the wall were carefully scrutinized, for it was well known that a “headless” shadow foretold the death of the person casting it within the year. The Yuletide flame was started from a scrap of the previous year's Yule log, which would have been preserved and stored for safekeeping, most likely under the homeowner's bed, says Quartz. TikTok videos and tweets have claimed for years that saying "my pleasure" at Chick-fil-A earned customers a discount, free ice cream, or free food. Yule Log is a significant part of Christmas traditions.Yule log is a large log burned in the hearth of the house. While the origins of the Yule log are attributed to the Scandinavian countries or to Germanic paganism, most would say the tradition started in Ancient Rome, where entire trees would be burned in an effort to keep away Kallikantzaroi. Yule Log If you have a birthday— for either a child or adult—that falls during the holidays to fete, why not celebrate it with the season's spirit? As early as 1725, Henry Bourne sought an origin for the Yule log in Anglo-Saxon paganism: “It seems to have been used, as an Emblem of the … Often a stump or a root (not necessarily a proper log at all), it was brought home on Christmas Eve and laid in the hearth. The Yule family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. This was not always an easy task, as special caution was given against stirring the embers during the lengthy Christmas Eve supper. This fell in what we now call December so it eventually became associated with the Christmas Holiday. According to Snopes, if the storyteller cast a "headless" shadow, they would surely die within the year. Some sources claim that it is an ‘enfeebled version of the ancient Celtic sacrifices’, while others believe it to have origins in Germanic paganism, however, the first … The celebrations included feasting and cleansing rituals, the most important of which was the ritual burning of specially anointed and decorated logs. The first direct reference to the Yule log can be found around the 17th century. A Yule log cake is a dessert traditionally served near Christmas, popular in France and Quebec and is also known as bûche de Noël. After supper, people would gather around the hearth to tell ghost stories and examine the shadows cast on the wall by the flickering flame. Lucky ones were obtained from one’s own land or from a neighbor’s wood. Rumor has it the infamously named town has officially been bowdlerized. The tradition of Christmas caroling actually began as the tradition of wassailing. The log could not be tended as long as any scrap of the dinner remained on the table, or while anyone was still eating. To Honour and Protect: The Yule Log. Christmas Caroling. There are historic references in the late 1800s that indicate a French pastry chef developed a log-shaped cake to resemble an actual Yule log. A Dictionary of Superstitions. A much more popular version of the yule log is available to modern society — the “buche de noel.” Rolled, frosted in chocolate, and decorated to look like a yule log, this sponge cake is served as part of the Christmas Eve meal in France called reveillon, which takes place after midnight Mass. As the end of the year approaches, the holidays offer an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate traditions with family, friends and loved ones. Yule or Yuletide ("Yule time" or "Yule season") is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples.Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht.. Later departing from its pagan roots, Yule underwent Christianised reformulation, resulting in the term Christmastide. It too was lit on Christmas Eve, usually just at dusk. Yule also carries associations with a farm animal. Having done its job of keeping the house safe from fire and lightning since the last festive season, it was now used to light the new log. Silent prayers would be … ISBN 0-304-345350 (p. 293). Alleged health concerns in late 2020 prompted the question: Is Biden too old to be president? In late 2020, internet users highlighted a shocking episode from the legendary blues guitarist's past. The logs were rubbed with wine or salt and trimmed with pine cones, ivy, and sprigs of holly, and their flames were thought to cleanse the remnants of the old year and usher in a fruitful spring. The first recorded use of the noun Yuletide, according to Wikipedia, was in 1475. In pre-Christian Scandinavia, the Feast of Juul, or Yule, lasted for 12 days celebrating the rebirth of the sun and giving rise to the custom of burning a Yule log. The yule log is a Nordic tradition that began with an actual log which was part of an entire tree burned a little bit each day during the 12 days of Christmas. Two doctors who raised the specter of vaccines causing sterilization have both spread pandemic misinformation. Scandinavian tribes had their Yuletide traditions. You can trace the origin of the yule log back to a 1966 broadcast from … And clean hands only, please — to attempt to light the log with dirty hands would have been an unforgivable sign of disrespect. The history of the Yule log cake stretches all the way back to Europe’s Iron Age, before the medieval era. The entire log was decorated with holly, mistletoe, and evergreens to represent the intertwining of the god and goddess who are reunited on this sabbat. What is a Yule log? The yule log has its roots (and often simply was a root) in Norse mythology, and from there it was all up and up. Despite its long affiliation with the Christian holiday of Christmas, however, the Yule log actually has its roots in pagan Norse mythology. It was unlucky to buy a yule log. Fast food is nothing if not quick to prepare. Similar to the yule log was the Christmas candle. A viral anti-vaccine video mangles the science behind the production of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The Scandinavian tribes have given us the following Yuletide traditions: (1) Feasting, (2) Keeping the Yule log lit all night on the 24th of December, and (3) Hanging mistletoe. Like the yule log, a proper Christmas candle could not be bought, so grocers made a practice of handing them out to customers. A Little History Of The Yule Log Thu, 7th Dec 17 One of the favourite sweet treats of Christmas was first created in remembrance of an ancient tradition. This tasty cake stems from a long-standing Christmas tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Nutritional Information Classic Yule Log. People in many European countries light a Yule log at Christmas time. The origin of the folk custom is unclear. It became a symbol of Christmas, morphed into a … Like other traditions associated with Yule (such as the Yule boar), the custom may ultimately derive from Germanic paganism. Yule Log History A holiday celebration that began in Norway, on the night of the winter solstice it was common to hoist a giant log onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year. Vol. It was originally a Nordic tradition. Amid COVID-19 lockdown rules in 2020, social media users appeared to "discover" a brand new quotation from the classic dystopian novel "1984.". Though few Americans still bother with it, the burning of the yule log was at one time one of the most firmly entrenched customs of Christmas. In the Celtic tradition, a continual hearth fire was kept to prevent spirits from entering the home. Keeping the Yule Log Burning . An Iron Age tradition of burning huge logs to ring in the New Year evolved over the centuries into a rich Christmas dessert made of rolled sponge cake and whipped cream. While they might not be started with the remnants of last year's log, the warm camaraderie of gathering with loved ones around the fire — virtual or otherwise — is sure to bring about some Yuletide cheer. Once the log was lit, it had to keep burning for 12 hours, but could not be stoked for as long as anyone remained eating at the Christmas Eve dinner table. The actor famous for playing Steve Urkel on "Family Matters" was the subject of yet another death hoax. Yule Log. The Yule Log is a television show originating in the United States, which is broadcast traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. As the log burned, people told ghost stories and tales of olden times whilst drinking cider. Back then, Celtic Brits and Gaelic Europeans would gather to … All Reviews for Classic Yule Log - of Reviews. The yule log is the dead Nimrod, human ruler of ancient Babylon, who was eventually deified as the sun incarnate, and hence a god. 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