A Christmas story: evolution of a burning log

Away in a manger one holy, silent night in the little town of Bethlehem the little lord Jesus laid down his sweet head as three kings of the orient traveled afar bearing gifts for the newborn babe who would bring joy to the world. It came upon a midnight clear when poor shepherds in fields lay keeping their sheep cried, "Hark the heralds angels sing" beckoning to come all ye faithful. This is essentially the Nativity Christmas tradition which gives the season of Advent its abounding spirit of hope and cheer. Apart from this Christian tradition, there are numerous other traditions which compose the Christmas season. For example although many have heard of it, what exactly is a Yule log?

The Yule log is a tradition dating back to the pagan Norsemen, more commonly called Vikings. Yule, which refers to the sun, was a festival celebrating the triumph of the sun over darkness during the winter solstice. At Yule the Goddess gives birth to the Sun (or a son who brings light to the world?). The winter solstice occurs on Dec. 21, eerily close to Christmas, when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky. The log, which represents the triumphant return of the light, was sprinkled with oil, salt, and mulled wine before being set ablaze by a splinter from the previous year's log. The purpose was to protect the house from lightning and the powers of evil.

The tradition was transferred to Britain in 1066, a noteworthy year. The disappearance of the actual log coincides with the development of cast iron stoves, but the Yule log tradition lives on in a tasty cake roll smothered in coffee and chocolate icing with decorations of roses and holly. Now that is way better then a block of burning wood.

To wash down the delectable pastry of the Yule log, you may need a beverage of equally historic significance. Wassail is the drink of choice in Britain. The word wassail comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase "waes hael" meaning "good health." The drink is made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar and is traditionally served out of large silver or pewter serving bowls. Wassailing occurred traditionally on New Year's Eve and Twelfth Night, although the wealthy drank the beverage on all 12 days of Christmas. Modern day drinkers may note that wassail is highly similar to egg nog.

Perhaps one of the best known Christmas traditions is that of Saint Nicholas. Credited with dropping bags of gold down the chimney of a poor family much in need of dowries for their three daughters, Nicholas was canonized for his kindness and charity. Imprisoned during the persecutions under the Emperor Diocletian, Nicholas died on Dec. 6, which is now his feast day. Unfortunately in sixteenth century Europe, the traditional stories of St. Nicholas became unpopular leaving an opening for someone to deliver presents to the children at Christmastime. In the U.K. the gifts were attributed to Father Christmas, to Pere Noel in France, Christ Kind in Germany, and Kris Kringle in the early United States. Later, Dutch settlers would bring stories of St. Nicholas to the U.S. and Kris Kringle would become "Sinter Klass," or, presently, Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas regained popularity in the Victorian Era at which point his bishop's robes evolved into the hat and coat he currently dons, with some color changes as well. His traditional white horse became a sleigh and a pack of eight reindeer, which would be given names in Dr. Clement Clarke Moore's 1882 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as "The Night Before Christmas."

A simple tradition and the personal favorite of many a Christmas devotee is that of mistletoe. This semi-parasitic plant grows commonly on apple and willow trees. The custom of hanging mistletoe in the house comes from the ancient Druids who believed it to possess powers providing good luck, warding off evil spirits, curing illnesses, and ensuring fertility. The practice of kissing beneath the mistletoe comes from England where a berry was picked from the sprig before a person could be kissed. When all the berries were gone, so were all the kisses.

The Druids seem to have been on to something regarding the healing powers of mistletoe. According to the National Cancer Institute, mistletoe extracts have been shown to kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune system. It is mainly used in Europe where it is marketed as injectible prescription drugs. Be wary, however, for mistletoe and its berries are considered poisonous to humans, although side effects from the extract seem rare.

Regardless of the traditions you continue-be it decking the halls with boughs of holly, dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh, playing reindeer games-like monopoly- or building a snowman with a corn cob pipe, a button nose and two eyes made out of coal, the holiday season is a time to get excited for Santa Claus is coming to town. In hopes of a White Christmas please let it snow, and finally, Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Sources: whychristmas.com, National Cancer Institute, godecookery.com, thecronescottage.tripod.com