Making a Traditional Yule Log
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As a family that loves old-fashioned traditions, this year we decided to add in the celebratory burning of a yule log. Have you participated this ancient holiday tradition before?
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. Today, the yule log is a part of many winter holiday traditions and has been more recently referred to in traditional Christmas poems and songs. In this post, I will be sharing how you can make your own homemade yule log to burn on Christmas Eve or during your Yule celebrations!
What is a Yule Log?
The yule log was an important symbol in the past. Families would be on the lookout for their yule log all year long, searching for the largest log they could find to use during their winter holiday celebrations.
It was always burned on the winter solstice, the shortest and darkest day the year, when ancient peoples would worry that the sunlight may cease to exist. This day has been observed by early humans as far back as the Neolithic period!
the tradition of the yule log:
The tradition of Yule or Yuletide was a celebration of feasting, wassailing, drinking, and dancing. This ancient holiday celebrated the victory of the Oak King over the Holly King, who symbolize summer and winter, respectively.
The yule log was, in fact, a full tree brought into the house and either burned from the bottom with the entirety of the tree sticking out into the room, or cut into sections and burned for 12 days. The ashes were saved and used to fertilize their crops in the spring (this is still a great idea, as long as there is only wood ash in your fire), and if there was any pieces of the yule log leftover, then it could be saved for good luck in the next year.
The yule log could also be stored underneath a person’s bed for good luck and as a superstitious practice to keep lightning away from the home!
Supplies You will Need:
If you would like to decorate a similar Yule log to ours, you will need a few simple, natural supplies. These can easily be found outdoors around your home or neighborhood. Everything that we used we foraged or grew in our garden, with the exception of the oranges and cinnamon sticks.
Dried Log. You will generally want a large one, though the size is up to you. Choose something that you can decorate easily.
Power Drill.
Taper Candles. Preferably something made from natural materials such as beeswax candles soy wax candles. If you are wanting to make your own beeswax candles, you can follow my tutorial here.
Greenery (pine, spruce, cedar, arborvitae, boxwood, etc)
Cranberries
Cinnamon sticks
Pinecones
how to decorate a yule log:
Step One: With a hole saw attached to your power drill, make holes in the top of the log to hold the candles. Only make them about 1-inch (5-cm) deep to hold the candles upright.
Step Two: Gather the greenery into bunches and tie the ends with twine or floral wire to hold them together. Arrange the greenery on the log and around the candles in your preferred style. You may choose to attach these bundles of greenery with more twine or wire. I found it a bit easier to attach them with hot glue.
Step Three: Insert other elements such as orange slices, cinnamon stick bundles, dried lavender bunches, pinecones, etc. Have fun with this part!
Burning Your Yule Log:
How you will burn your yule log is entirely up to you! You may choose to actually burn it in your fireplace or in an outdoor fire pit.
If you do not have a fireplace or fire pit, another option would be to light candles on the log or near it, as we have pictured.
Whatever you choose, make sure that you are cautious and keep watch over the log while it is burning. Dried flowers, herbs, greens, fruits, etc are highly flammable. You do not want your entire house to go up in flames!
ideas for celebrating the winter solstice:
There are many ways that people celebrate the Winter Solstice. On this night, it can be lovely shut off all of the lights and light candles instead. If you haver a fireplace, you may choose to light a fire and read books all evening, build jigsaw puzzles, or play board games. It’s a wonderful time to enjoy homemade treats like Christmas cookies and have a a candlelit supper.
However you may create holiday traditions, we hope that you have a lovely Winter Solstice with your own homemade yule log.
xoxo Kayla
