Why Do You Burn A Yule Log?

The Christmas practice calls for burning a portion of the log each evening until Twelfth Night (January 6). The log is subsequently placed beneath the bed for luck, and particularly for protection from the household threats of lighting and, with some irony, fire.

Why do we burn a Yule log?

The Burning of the Yule Log Burning a log in celebration of Yule started well before medieval times. The Yule log would feed the fire through the 12 Days of Christmas (from Christmas Day through the evening of the 5th of January—known as Twelfth Night). The ashes of Yule logs were said to be very good for plants.

What is the tradition behind the Yule log?

The ancient Norse used the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice. “Yule” came from the Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. The Norse believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and then away from the earth.

How long should a Yule log burn?

Most traditions specify the log should only be ignited with wood from the previous year’s Yule log with someone with clean hands! However, other Yule log customs are steeped in superstition. One superstition is to capture the true magic of the Yule log, it must burn for twelve hours and in some places twelve days.

Is a Yule log good luck?

Ultimately, the yule log was thought to determine a person’s good or bad luck, and there are many variations on this superstition. One European belief held that the log had to catch fire on the first attempt to light it, lest all the inhabitants of the home where it burned suffer bad luck.

What do French people do with yule logs?

In Provence (in France), it is traditional that the whole family helps to cut the log down and that a little bit is burnt each night. If any of the log is left after Twelfth Night, it is kept safe in the house until the next Christmas to protect against lightning!

Why is Yule 12 days?

The Yule log was a whole tree meant to be burned for 12 days in the hearth. The Celts believed the sun stood still during the winter solstice. They thought by keeping the Yule log burning for these 12 days encouraged the sun to move, making the days longer.

How do you burn a Yule log?

How To Make A Pagan Yule Log To Burn. One traditional way to make a Yule log is to use a small piece of wood. Cut one side to make it level—drill three holes to place tapered candles in. You could use it as a table centerpiece until Winter Solstice and then burn the whole log in your fireplace or backyard fire pit.

What is the difference between a yule log and a Swiss roll?

The main difference between yule log and swiss roll is their appearance. Yule logs are made to resemble Yule logs that are burned on the Christmas eve while Swiss rolls are just cylindrical cakes with a spiral cross-section.

Who invented the yule log?

The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, before spreading to other countries. It is traditionally made from a genoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside.

What is the difference between Yule and Christmas?

Christmas can refer to December 25 itself, but it can also refer to the whole Christmas season. Yule can work the same way: yule can refer to both Christmas and the broader Christmas season, which can also be called yuletide.

Is Christmas really a pagan holiday?

Though December 25 is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the date itself and several of the customs we’ve come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice. “In ancient Rome there was a feast called Saturnalia that celebrated the solstice.

How many candles go in a yule log?

Modern Yule logs typically hold three candles.

How do you explain Yule?

Yule is a midwinter festival celebrated by Germanic people, a celebration to the Norse God, Odin and a Pagan holiday called Modraniht. It revolves around thanking the Gods and Goddesses for what you have as well as celebrating nature and its changes.

What religion is Yule?

The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.

What does Yule mean to pagans?

Yule is the Pagan and Wiccan celebration of the winter solstice that is celebrated every December. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and it heralds the daylight hours growing longer again.