Culture

The Modern Yule Log Tradition

by jessica.lam | December 21, 2008 at 10:27 am

932 views | 19 Recommendations | 5 comments

Growing up in North America, there is no lack of convenience when it comes to entertainment. With the festive holiday season a time for celebrating, the yule log tradition is made easy with the video on the ubiquitous channel 3.

A Yule log is a large wooden log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule or Christmas celebrations in several European cultures. It can be a part of the Winter Solstice festival or the Twelve Days of Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or Twelfth Night."

With the snow coming down hard in my part of the world, it reminded me of this annual tradition, not with an actual log, but with the burning log in the fireplace on the television.

In the United States and Canada, the "Yule log" has also become a modern tradition in the form of a TV screen in one's home showing video of an actual Yule Log burning in a real fireplace. The video is accompanied by Christmas music, crackling fire sounds, or both at the same time.

This is now a very popular trend on DVDs, but it began on a whim in 1966, by Fred Thrower, former TV programming director for WPIX in New York City, who wanted to offer a Yule Log for the majority in New York City who had no real fireplace of their own.[10] It has been offered for several hours each year (on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day) as a video greeting card to viewers, and is syndicated across the U.S. Many others have offered their own versions over the years on TV, and in all video formats.

What are your thoughts on the Modern Yule Log Tradition? Do you watch it during the holidays?

For those who don't have a TV, do not fret because the Yule Log can be found easily stream-able. Here.

And for the curious, here is the fan site dedicated towards the original WPIX yule log.

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Jordan Yerman

at 11:35 on December 21st, 2008

I always found the televised yule log to be kind of strange and surreal, but oddly soothing, especially when there wasn't music played on top of it: just a camera filming a piece of wood as it burned. Oh, and we have our own as well.

Jon Azpiri

at 17:33 on December 21st, 2008

I agree that the televised yule log is weird and soothing at the time. I'd wager that the reason it's so popular is that it's cheap. Just pop in a video of a log burning and give everyone at the TV station the holidays off. Kind of a perfect solution, really.

Uwe Paschen

at 00:24 on December 22nd, 2008

I do like the real Log in a real Cabin far away for all Human Turmoil with a nice cup off Glue-wine and some Good Friends ad Family to chair it with.

Jarrett Martineau

at 07:54 on December 22nd, 2008

I feel toasty warm just reading this. :)

Jossbot (not verified)

at 15:55 on December 24th, 2008

You guys are right, having the yule log film film is a bit weird, especially when you didn't grow up with snow or other Christmas-y surroundings like that. I grew up in Mexico so I'm not used to snow.. but now that I live in Chicago, the yule log is perfect for those nights.

I like it better without music, though. The noise of wood burning is so hypnotic!!