Decorating a Christmas log is a beautiful way to celebrate the pagan celebration of the winter solstice!
On the longest night of the year, we rest, reflect and think about our lives and the paths we want to take. Even now, in the darkest of times, we know that each day will bring more warmth and light. That the sun will rise again and bring with it hope and joy. I hope this helps you feel inspired to celebrate the winter solstice.
Reading: How to create a yule log
Many pagans, witches and those interested in nature spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as a pagan holiday or wheel of the year, it consists of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins.
The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the position of the Sun. I have created a complete guide for each season including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas and how to celebrate.
Please note that I make every effort to ensure that this information is accurate correct and accurate is my own experience and by reference to the sources listed at the end of this article.
Posts on this site may contain affiliate links which allow me to do so to earn a small commission from your purchases (at no additional cost to you!)
What is a Christmas log?
A Christmas log is an ancient pagan tradition involving a large tree trunk or an entire tree is placed on your home fire pit. People carried the Christmas tree trunk inside, placed the larger end in the chimney, and continued to pierce it until it was completely burned.
In more recent times, a Christmas tree trunk is made of wood, typically decorated with symbols of herbs , plants, flowers or candles.
Yule comes from the Old Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. The Norse believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and away from the earth.
History – Christmas traditions around the world
The burning of logs at Christmas symbolizes the change from darkness to light. They knew it was the longest night of the year here and each day brought more warmth and light.
Yule Log Traditions, History and Origins
Yule Logs are rooted in pre-Christian pagan history, although no one knows the exact origins. Most believe this seasonal ritual has its origins in an ancient Germanic midwinter practice.
However, there are a few who believe it may be of Celtic origin.
It was also the Druids who started the Yule Block tradition. The Celts believed that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during that time a log was lit to conquer darkness, drive away evil spirits and bring good luck for the coming year.
BBC – Religions – Winter Solstice
It was common for the Christmas celebration to be a family affair and everyone got involved to find and harvest the perfect tree.
The tree out where the Yule Log was harvested had to be donated or cut from your own land. It was considered unlucky to buy the tree. Families adorned logs with pine cones, ivy, holly, or periwinkle (representing new life).
They placed the massive logon their hearth on the evening of the winter solstice to welcome the Return of the sun, bringing abundance and honoring various gods.
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The Christmas Book could have served a practical purpose as well. Because of its size, girth, and size, it burned all day, ensuring that no one had to relight the fire during the midwinter celebrations.
A small piece of the Christmas log was saved and placed under a bed to keep out bad luck to ward off fire or lightning. Which makes sense when you consider that most houses were made of wood!
The following year, this leftover piece of Christmas log was used to light the fire for the new Christmas log. If the new Yule Log did not light up on the first try, it was assumed that it was a bad omen, foretelling misfortune and tragedy to household members.
The Yule Log ash was considered unique and planted in the ground for good luck. We now know that wood ash is full of potassium, which is great for plants!
As Christianity grew, the tradition of Christmas blocks continued. However, on a more modest scale, since chimneys or hearths had become much smaller. However, these chimneys were great for baking cakes! The origin of the first Christmas cake or “Bûche de Noël” is unknown, but some believe it may date back to the 17th century.
How to make a pagan Christmas log to burn
A traditional way to make a Christmas 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 decoration until the winter solstice and then the whole log in your fireplace or of your backyard fire pit.
The color of the candles placed within is chosen based on what they represent. Feel free to choose any colors you’re drawn to, but here are a few Ideas!
Check out this Magical Color Meanings post for even more inspiration.
- Red, Green, White (celebrate the season )
- Gold, yellow, red or white (around sun e),
- White, silver and black (to represent the moon).
Another option is to use a small bundle of logs without candles (like I did in the photo above). I find it quite beautiful and festive. B Burn yours in a backyard fire pit and make it a fun family event! Let everyone snuggle up in jackets, mittens, blankets, hats and earmuffs! Drink warm cocoa, cider or mulled wine. Discuss what you were most grateful for over the past year and what dreams or goals you have for the next year!
What type of wood is a Yule log?
Each type of tree is unique and can symbolize different intentions. Most of these correspondences match the Ogham Celtic alphabet and symbols. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Birch (Fertility, Creativity, Purification and New Beginnings)
- Aspen (Conquering your fears, divination, spiritual knowledge and perception)
- Oak (Intellect, leadership, security, resilience, perseverance and wisdom)
- Pine (success, well-being, joy, excitement and spiritual awakening)
- Ash (wealth, prosperity, transitions, growth, peace and women’s strength)
- Holly (Protection, expertise, analysis and opens your mind to accept revelations (useful for divination)
- Willow ( balance, intuition, sentimental feelings, the flow of water, and honoring a god/goddess/deity)
- Yew (ancestry, history, aging, dying, transitions, thoughts and memory)
- Mountain Ash (defense, Control of one’s actions, defense of animals, growth and fresh ideas)
- Alder (spiritual leadership, creativity, choices and protection from harm)
- Hazel (Knowledge, Creative Inspiration, Competence and Practicality)
Remember, you can use any type of wood you like or your Christmas log based on its choose the appropriate meaning.
What are some examples of Christmas tree decorations, correspondences and symbolic ideas?
You can add anything you want to your Christmas book! Here are a few ideas in addition to the above and their corresponding intentions.
- Cinnamon sticks – Good luck
- Lavender – Good luck , Happiness and Peace
- Dried Oranges – symbolizes the sun and the change from darkness to light
- Ivy – Healing, love, protection and representative of the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth
- Pomegranates – mean abundance due to their abundance of seeds, also their round shape can represent the sun
- Baby’s breath – Because they are so delicate and white, baby’s breath symbolizes purity, innocence and love
- Carnations – protection and clarity
- Star anise – symbolizes happiness, purification and opens up psychic abilities
- Pine cones – illustrative of the pine tree itself in the darkest season of winter s still remains green. A representative of wealth, comfort and protection. You can also use boxwood sprigs for similar reasons.
- Rosemary – burning rosemary is said to purify the air of negativity. I used rosemary to say goodbye to everything negative from the past year and clear the way for a positive new year.
- Mistletoe– promotes healing and promotes fertility
Check out this post if you want to learn more about magical properties and associations of botanical herbs and an explanation of the origins of genders, planets and elements.
My 2019 Christmas Book
I wanted to avoid drilling holes for candles to make it easy for beginners to use as inspiration.I added boxwood from my own garden, hunted for a few bits, and bought the rest (like gypsophila, dried pomegranate, and cinnamon sticks) at Trader Joe’s.
My Christmas log of 2020
This Christmas log contains much more symbolism and includes dried mint, rosemary and lavender from my own garden. I used a 1 1/2″ paddle bit to drill the holes in my Christmas log so I could place candles with appropriate intentions.
Don’t forget to add last year’s Christmas log if you have it!
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You can see how I made this Christmas book and other DIY winter solstice decorations here. The Christmas book starts at 7:15 am.
Pagan Christmas Journal Ritual Ideas
Now that you’ve created your Christmas journal, I bet you’re wondering what to do with it! There are many different ways to use your Christmas book and I encourage you to try creating your own traditions and rituals! Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Natural Decorations
A Christmas log makes a beautiful centerpiece for your kitchen table, and you can add extra greenery, candles, a table runner, or any other symbolic items that you find meaningful to accompany it!
Christmas Log Burning Ritual
This is a beautiful tradition to add to your family celebrations at Christmas and the Winter Solstice (although I like to burn mine on New Year’s Eve. If you have one you can use your Christmas Log Like to burn indoors, or if you have an outdoor fire pit, feel free to do it outside! If you choose to burn indoors, turn off all lights in the house (I still usually leave my Christmas lights on).
Now is a good time to have each family member discuss what they would like to achieve and change in the year ahead. Each family member can also feel free to journal and reflect quietly on themselves.
Have each family member write down a bad habit they would like to break.You could also add goals, dreams, or an intention that they would like to manifest.Sc put all the notes in the Christmas diary before you light it.
Once the Christmas log fire is lit, the scraps of paper will burn and all those thoughts, dreams and wishes will be sent out into the universe!
I also like to add some rosemary for anything negative from this year to banish and open up positive things for the next year. As the Christmas journal burns, reflect on the past year: what have you learned, what are you grateful for, and what challenges have you overcome?
Be sure to honor the old tradition and the last bit to save your log for next year’s burning ritual.
Create a miniature Christmas log
If burning a Christmas log is not a viable option, you can also decorate your home/meditation /Decorate your altar place with a symbolic MINI YULE LOG! I’ve made two examples for you in the photos below.
Use cinnamon sticks, 4-6 inch twigs, evergreens, holly, or any other decoration you feel connected to!
You could also make a smoke purifier out of the same materials. I even saw someone use a small cast iron pan to burn their incense and candles on their altar. This is the most magical idea I’ve ever heard of!
Another great option is to create a mini version with a pine cone.
I hope this Jul log post was helpful! Sending you so much love on your winter solstice and as always, remember…
Sources
Editors at History.com. Christmas customs around the world. 27 October 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/christmas-traditions-worldwide
BBC Religions. winter solstice. 7 June 2006. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/wintersolstice.shtml
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