Yule log facts for kids

An old drawing of people getting a Yule log

The Yule log is a special piece of wood, usually a tree trunk, that people burn in a fireplace during winter holidays. This tradition is popular in parts of Europe, especially the United Kingdom, and also in North America. The exact start of this custom is not fully known. It might come from older traditions linked to Yule, which was a winter festival celebrated by ancient Germanic people.

People often burn a part of the Yule log each evening until Twelfth Night (January 6). After it's burned, some people used to place the leftover wood under their bed. They believed this would bring them good luck and protect their home from things like lightning or even fire. Some people also tried to guess their future for the new year by watching the sparks from the burning log. The Yule log is seen as a symbol of light during the dark winter days.

Where Did the Yule Log Come From?

Even though the idea of Yule is very old, the first clear mentions of burning a Yule log appear in the 1600s. However, many people think the custom is much older and comes from ancient traditions.

For example, in 1725, a historian named Henry Bourne thought the Yule log might have come from the Anglo-Saxons. He wrote that people used to light large candles and burn a big log called a "Yule-Clog" to make their homes bright. He believed this was a way to celebrate the return of the sun and the longer days after the shortest day of the year.

Later, in 1983, G. R. Willey suggested that big bonfires with feasting had pagan roots. These fires were lit around November to mark the start of winter. Over time, these customs became part of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Many traditions we see today around Christmas, like Twelfth Night bonfires, might come from these old practices.

The Yule festival itself was usually held around Midwinter, which is the shortest day of the year. It involved feasting, drinking, and special ceremonies. Many Yule customs, like the Yule log, Yule goat, and Yule boar, are still seen in modern Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas ham and Christmas carols. This shows how important the Yule feast was a long time ago.

How People Celebrate Today

The Yule log tradition is well-known in many parts of England, especially in the West and North. For example, in 1914, people in Yorkshire, Britain, had specific customs for the Yule log:

• The Yule log was often given as a gift.
• It was considered bad luck if the log went out after it was first lit, and it was supposed to burn until it was completely gone.
• People would sit around the Yule log, tell ghost stories, and play cards.
• On Christmas Eve, two large candles were lit from the Yule log by the youngest person in the room. Everyone would be silent and make a secret wish. After the candles were on the table, they could talk again. The candles had to burn out on their own, and no other lights could be lit that night.

Another custom from Yorkshire in 1923 was to save a piece of the Yule log to light the next year's log. Also, on Christmas morning, something green, like a leaf, had to be brought into the house before anything was taken out.

The Yule log tradition also spread to other English-speaking places, like the United States. In Palmer Lake, Colorado, a "Yule-Log Ceremony" has been held since 1934. It starts with a hunt for the Yule log and ends with people drinking wassail (a traditional drink) around the fire. In the Southern United States before the American Civil War, enslaved people also celebrated Christmas with the Yule log. Their holiday lasted until the Yule log burned out, which sometimes took over a week.

Different Names and Similar Traditions

The Yule log has different names depending on the region. In northeast England, it was often called a "Yule Clog." In the Midlands and West Country, it was known as the "Yule Block." In Cornwall, it was called the "Stock of the Mock."

In other parts of the British Isles, it also had local names:

• In Wales: Boncyff Nadolig or Blocyn y Gwyliau (Christmas Log or Festival Block)
• In Scotland: Yeel Carline (Christmas Old Wife)
• In Ireland: Bloc na Nollag (Christmas Block)

The custom of burning a Yule log was also common in France, where it's called bûche de noël. Sometimes, gifts were hidden under the log. In some areas, like Provence, the log would be paraded around the house three times by the family's grandfather and then blessed with wine before being lit. Today, the tradition of burning a log in France has mostly been replaced by eating a log-shaped cake, also called Bûche de Noël.

Other countries have similar traditions:

• Baltic people have a "log pulling" ritual (bluķa vilkšana or blukio vilkimo). People drag a log or tree stump through their village at the winter solstice and then burn it.
• Serbian people have a tradition called Badnjak, where they burn an oak sapling on Christmas Eve.
• Catalan people have a tradition with "Tió" (a magic log with a smiling face). Children "feed" Tió before Christmas, then sing and hit him with sticks to make him "poop" candy and small gifts.
• Galician people in Spain have their own version called tizón de Nadal or cepo de Nadal.

See also

In Spanish: Tronco de Navidad para niños