| The Yule Log today is thought of as a traditional | | | | thought to bring good luck and offerings were placed |
| Christmas dessert traditionally made with sponge | | | | on the tree to bring good luck for the following year. |
| cake which is rolled, frosted in chocolate and | | | | Your bad luck and mistakes from the previous year |
| decorated to look like a yule log. Common knowledge | | | | were thought to burn up in the fire. Pieces of the log |
| of what a yule log looks like has almost disappeared | | | | and ashes were kept to protect the house and fed |
| in modern society. The Yule Log was a log at one | | | | into the fire the following year to continue the good |
| time that was brought into the house on Christmas | | | | luck. It was also thought to be bad luck if the yule |
| Eve and allowed to burn throughout the twelve days | | | | log went out during before the twelve days of |
| of Christmas. | | | | Christmas were over. |
| The custom of burning the Yule log is said to be the | | | | The tradition of burning a yule log morphed into |
| oldest Christmas tradition which actually started | | | | eating a yule log when houses no longer had huge |
| before the birth of Christ. It began as a celebration | | | | hearths and fireplaces. The yule log became the |
| of the winter solstice in Scandinavia. The winter | | | | traditional dessert served on the largest feast day |
| solstice festivals were called Yule. In medieval times | | | | during the Christmas season. This is Christmas eve in |
| an entire tree was cut down on one's own property | | | | some families, Christmas day in others. In France, it is |
| or a nearby property and ceremoniously brought into | | | | served at le reveillon which is the late supper served |
| the house. The large end of the tree would be put in | | | | after midnight mass on Christmas eve and the yule |
| the fireplace and the rest of the tree would stick out | | | | log is called "buche de Noel". |
| in the room. Decorations would be placed on the tree | | | | The popularity of burning logs during the holiday |
| and it would slowly be moved further into the | | | | season still exists with the stockings hanging from |
| fireplace as it burnt. The Yule log would burn | | | | the fireplace, along with the Christmas tree in the |
| sometimes for a few weeks prior to winter solstice | | | | corner and Christmas wreaths on the doors. The |
| until a couple weeks after. Eventually the whole tree | | | | meaning of the yule log today is more associated |
| being brought into the house evolved into just a log. | | | | with the dessert but why not eat your yule log |
| Ceremonies and rituals celebrated with the yule log | | | | dessert sitting in front of your fireplace enjoying the |
| evolved over time in different countries. The log was | | | | warmth of a burning yule log. |