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Are you familiar with the tradition of the Yule log? Or perhaps you like to “troll the ancient yuletide carols”? Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world—celebrated on the solstice. Learn more about this centuries-old festival and its traditions (including the Yule logcake!).
Today, “Yule” and “Yuletide” are largely synonymous with “Christmas” and “Christmastide,” but the meaning behind them is quite different from that of the Christianholiday.
“Yule” comes from Old Englishgeol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jól. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solstice—the shortest day of the year—the days again begin to grow longer, so it’s thought that Yule was a celebration of the re-appearance of the Sun and the fertile land’srebirth.
The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs and traditions associated with it vary widely. Most commonly, the celebration consisted of a hearty feast and general revelry, which included wassailing (caroling), drinking, anddancing.
Later, when Christianity came to the British Isles, Christians adopted aspects of the pagan festival into a celebration of the birth of Christ. As Christianity began to spread in the 4th century, the Christmas feast day was set on December 25 by Pope Julius I to align with the Roman pagan holidayDies natalis solis invicti, “the birthday of the invincible Sun.” The rest ishistory.
The Burning of the YuleLog
Burning a log in celebration of Yule started well before medieval times. It began as part of the winter solsticefestivities.
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 thejól(Yule) festival inScandinavia.
Interestingly, the Yule log was originally an entire tree! Families would bring the trunk of the Yule tree inside and stick the big end of it into the fireplace. The log would feed the fire through the 12 Days of Christmas (from Christmas Day through the evening of the 5th of January—known as TwelfthNight).
Today, a Yule log is still a Christmas tradition in some cultures; a large log is traditionally burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve. For other cultures, the Yule log is a log-shaped chocolate cake enjoyed as a Christmasdessert.
If you are in the woodlot, plan to cut some of that white birch into Yule logs for your friends. They can be used in fireplaces or as decor. Tied with red ribbon, such logs make ideal Christmasgifts!
The Yule log also makes an excellent centerpiece for tapers or tea lights. You could also use the purple and pink Advent candles. Our town’s Boy Scout troop drilled holes in birch logs to create special candle holders for Scoutceremonies.
Make an edible Yule log!Here’s our dessert recipe for a light bûche de Noël! It’s a Christmas favorite, adding a festive flair to any holidaytable.
The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America.
The burning of a special log in a fireplace for luck and fortune has been a holiday tradition long before the arrival of Christianity in Europe. As are most holiday traditions, the origins of the Yule log are believed to have stemmed from Germanic or Scandinavian paganism.
Ready to party? The pagan celebration of the winter solstice is known as Yule, and it's one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It simultaneously celebrates the shortest day of the year, midwinter, and the return of the Sun. It's also a festival of rebirth.
Yule is a noun meaning “Christmas, or the Christmas season,” which is the Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, yule can also refer to the celebration of the winter solstice that's observed in some Pagan traditions.
Our modern custom flourished in Germany and spread to other European nations and North America in the 19th century. The Yule tree's brightly colored decorations and lights symbolized stellar objects, spirits of those who died, religious events and figures, and provided edible treats.
In the heart of medieval Europe, the Yule log played a role in both pagan and Christian beliefs. Celts believed that as the sun seemingly stood still during the twelve days at the end of December, keeping the Yule log aflame would persuade the sun to move again, lengthening the days and heralding the return of spring.
The idea of burning a yule log during the winter solstice is believed to date all the way back to early Germanic or Scandinavian paganism. The log was burned on the winter solstice, the shortest and darkest day the year, when ancient peoples would worry that the light may cease to exist.
In ancient times, the twelve days of Yuletide began on the winter solstice and ended on January 1. Christianity revised this pagan celebration to the Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, beginning Christmas Day and ending on the 5th of January, with the last day being Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve).
In modern use, the word Yuletide is occasionally invoked as a synonym for Christmas. Yuletide is the much older of the two words; its first half, yule, derives from an Old English noun geōl. Both geōl and its etymological cousin from Old Norse (jōl) referred to a midwinter pagan festival that took place in December.
The modern word 'Yule' has a few possible etymological origins; in Old Norse Jól or Jul could refer to a feast to the sun, and formed part of one of the many names given to the chief god Odin who was often known as the Jólfadr or Yul-father due to his strong association with the sun.
The Yule goat's origins date back to ancient Pagan festivals. A popular theory is that the goat is connected to worship of the Norse god Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngnjóstr, or “teeth grinder” in Old Norse; and “teeth bearer,” or Tanngrisnir.
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