A Yule log is a large log burned on the hearth at midwinter to bring light, warmth, and luck into the new year. Many people burn one on the winter solstice, December 21 in 2026, as a way to welcome back the sun. The tradition runs back at least 800 years in Europe, and you can keep it with a fireplace, a firepit, or a decorated log with candles on the table. Below you'll find what the Yule log means, where it comes from, which wood to choose, and how to make and burn your own.
What Does the Yule Log Symbolize?
The Yule log symbolizes the return of the light: a big fire on the longest night to carry the household through the dark until the sun grows strong again. It also stands for warmth, protection, and good fortune in the year ahead.
The folklore around the log shows how much luck people put in it. In England, families counted the sparks to read their fortunes for the new year, and kept a piece of the log under the bed to guard the house from lightning and fire. In Greece, the fire was believed to keep away the kallikantzaroi, mischievous goblins that came out during the darkest nights. Almost everywhere, a piece was saved to light next year's log, so the fire carried on from one year to the next.
Where Does the Yule Log Tradition Come From?
The Yule log tradition comes from Europe, and its oldest solid record dates to 1184. Nobody knows for sure how far back it goes before that. Some scholars see it as a surviving pagan midwinter fire ritual, and others as a medieval custom that grew up on its own.
That 1184 record is of a Christmas Eve log. In England, the poet Robert Herrick wrote in 1648 about cheering lads hauling the "Christmas log" into a farmhouse, where it was believed to bring prosperity. The name "Yule log" first shows up in the writings of John Aubrey a few decades later, who mentions "a large Yule log or Christmas block."
Today, Christians and modern Pagans both burn Yule logs. Many Pagans and witches burn theirs on the winter solstice as part of their Yule celebration.
Yule Logs Around Europe
The Yule log goes by many names across Europe, and each place has its own customs:
- France: the bûche de Noël was once a real log burned from Christmas Eve. In Provence, the grandfather of the family carried a log or a branch from a fruit tree three times around the house, blessed it with wine, and lit it with ashes saved from last year's log. The log-shaped cake took its name later; our bûche de Noël recipe is the edible version.
- Italy: in Tuscany the log is the ciocco or ceppo, and in Lombardy the zocco. Lombard families sprinkled juniper on the log and set coins on it before the fire was lit.
- Germany: the Julklotz was burned slowly, pulled from the fire, and thrown back in later to protect the house from lightning.
- England: in the West Country, families burned an "ashen faggot," a bundle of ash sticks tied with hazel or bramble.
- Ireland: the log is the Bloc na Nollag.
- Catalonia: the Tió de Nadal is a log that's "fed" for days, covered with a blanket, and tapped with sticks by children until it "produces" sweets and small gifts.
- The Baltics: villagers dragged a log through the village at the winter solstice and then burned it.
Which Wood Is Best for a Yule Log?
The best wood for a Yule log is one that matches what you want the returning sun to bring. Oak is a classic choice, and it's the wood of the Serbian badnjak, a close cousin of the Yule log. Many practitioners today pick their wood by intention, so a log for protection might be oak and a log for love might be cherry. Whichever wood you choose, it should be dry and seasoned so it burns well.
These are the woods many practitioners use and what each one is chosen for:
- Oak is strong and long-lived, and it stands for strength, protection, and good luck in the coming year. It's also the wood of the Oak King, who wins back the throne at Yule. Our oak tree guide has more of its folklore.
- Pine stands for peace and joy. Because it's evergreen, it's a reminder that life carries on through the coldest months.
- Birch stands for new beginnings and rebirth, a natural match for the newborn sun. See our birch tree guide for more.
- Cherry is chosen to draw love and affection, bringing warmth into the home.
- Ash stands for light and protection against negative energy. It's also the wood of England's old ashen faggot.
- Fruitwood like apple stands for abundance and a fruitful year, and it echoes the fruit-tree branch burned in Provence.
- Juniper is a wood of protection and cleansing. In the 1400s, the Duke of Milan's court brought in a Yule log covered in juniper and laurel.
If you can't decide, oak is a good place to start. You can also bind a few small branches of different woods together, the way the ashen faggot was made, to bring in several blessings at once.
How to Make a Yule Log
You can make a Yule log for burning or a decorated log with candles for the table, and both start the same way. It takes about an hour, plus drying time if your wood is fresh.
- Find your log. Look for a fallen branch or a log about 12 to 18 inches long, in the wood that matches your intention. Never cut a living tree, and never use painted, stained, or pressure-treated wood.
- Let it dry. If the wood is fresh or damp, let it dry indoors for a week or two so it burns cleanly.
- Give it a flat base. For a table log, saw a thin strip off the bottom so it sits flat without rolling.
- Add candle holes (table logs only). Drill three holes about an inch deep along the top, sized to fit taper candles. Three dark red tapers or white tapers are traditional.
- Decorate it. Tuck evergreen sprigs, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and dried orange slices around the log, and tie it with a ribbon in a color that matches your wish.
- Write your wishes. Write a wish for the new year on a slip of paper and tuck it under the ribbon. Everyone in the household can add one.
- Bless it. Hold your hands over the log and speak your intention for the year ahead.
- Burn or light it on the solstice. Burn the log in a fireplace or firepit, or light the candles on your table log on the evening of the winter solstice.
Yule Log Decoration Ideas
The best Yule log decorations are natural things from the season. Before you burn the log, take off anything that shouldn't go in a fire, like wire, plastic ribbon, glitter, or berries on a table log you plan to keep.
- Evergreens: pine, fir, cedar, and ivy for life that lasts through winter.
- Pinecones: for growth and the promise of seeds in spring.
- Dried orange slices: for the sun.
- Cinnamon sticks and whole cloves: for warmth, prosperity, and a lovely scent when they burn.
- Holly sprigs: for protection. Holly berries are poisonous to people and pets, so keep them out of reach.
- Ribbon: red for vitality, gold for the sun, green for growth, and white for peace.
- Herbs: rosemary for remembrance and bay leaves for wishes. See our Yule correspondences for more seasonal plants and colors.
How to Burn a Yule Log
To burn a Yule log, light it on the evening of the winter solstice and let it burn as long as you can tend it safely. Old English folklore says it's unlucky to have to relight the log once it's started, so build a good fire under it.
Many families light the Yule log with a piece saved from last year's log. If this is your first year, light it with a candle or kindling instead, and save a piece of this year's log for next time. While it burns, the old customs are a good guide: tell stories around the fire, count the sparks for luck, and make a silent wish. In one Yorkshire custom, the youngest person present lit the candles from the Yule log while everyone wished in silence.
When the fire is out and the ashes are completely cold, save a small piece of the charred log to light next year's fire, and keep a pinch of ash in a jar for protection. For more ways to mark the longest night, see our winter solstice traditions.
Fire safety: never leave a burning log or lit candles unattended, keep the fire screened, and make sure ashes are completely cold before you put them anywhere other than a metal container.
The Yule Log on TV
The televised Yule log, a loop of a log burning in a fireplace, first aired on New York's WPIX on Christmas Eve, 1966. It was filmed at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence, and became a yearly tradition that dozens of other stations and streaming services have copied. If you don't have a fireplace, it's a cozy backdrop for a table Yule log.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Yule Log
What Is a Yule Log in Simple Terms?
A Yule log is a big log burned in the fireplace at midwinter to bring light and good luck into the new year. Many Pagans burn one on the winter solstice.
What Is the Pagan Meaning of the Yule Log?
For Pagans, the Yule log stands for the return of the sun after the longest night. Burning it welcomes back the light and brings protection and good fortune for the year ahead.
Is the Yule Log a Real Pagan Tradition?
The Yule log is a real European folk tradition, and its oldest record dates to 1184. Whether it began as a pagan ritual is debated, but modern Pagans have kept it as a central part of Yule.
What Wood Should a Yule Log Be?
Oak is a classic wood for a Yule log. Many practitioners choose by intention, such as birch for new beginnings, cherry for love, pine for peace, and ash for protection.
What Do You Do With the Yule Log After Burning?
Save a small piece of the charred log to light next year's fire, and keep some of the cold ashes for protection. In English folklore, a piece kept under the bed guarded the house from lightning and fire.
Can You Make a Yule Log Without a Fireplace?
Yes. You can make a table Yule log by drilling three holes in a log, setting taper candles in them, and decorating it with evergreens, pinecones, and ribbon, then lighting the candles on the solstice.
When Do You Burn the Yule Log?
Many Pagans burn the Yule log on the night of the winter solstice, which is Monday, December 21, in 2026. Some keep a piece burning each night of Yuletide.
