Building on the thread on what you will burn on Christms Day, I'm planning on starting a tradition of burning a Yule log on Christmas Eve. I'm learning that, according to tradition, different woods offer various good tidings such as health, prosperity, etc. I think it'll be a fun thing to do. Since this is the first time I've done this I've selected a small oak log and a small apple log. Both from trees that have a "story" in my family. Does anyone else burn Yule logs?
We don't necessarily have a tradition of it, but if our friends are wood burners, I bring an arm load of wood over. Last weekend we visited friends next door and I brought very dry elm over as a thank you gesture for inviting us over for food and drink. Otherwise we eat the yule log cake at my wife's birthday party.
Many years I'll say, You'll know it is a log as it gets burning and is needed for the heat too! That is when we have a cool Yule, like 0 degrees Christmas morning or colder. Not going to happen this year.
We've decided to start a tradition of burning last years Christmas tree in the fireplace, on Christmas morning. (After limbing it out of course)
Parents have a nice fireplace, being that it is that, a big fire is necessary for big heat. Last christmas, my uncle brought a huge log of cedar from my grandparents home, last place my grandfather was alive. The log was massive it was good that I had placed fresh wood on the fire before he put the log on or it would have snuffed it out. I do try to find a large log or two to finish off the night strong on a fire as such but its not special just gives us a good way to put good wood on there because once my relatives arrive, my dad is cooking everything I help and the fire becomes its own entity at that point.
Great thread Dascro. We normally host Christmas Day for our families, but this year we are deciding to celebrate the day by ourselves. I plan on starting up the fireplace early in morning Before the kids wake up to check out how well they did. And plan on burning all day long, don't have too many real big logs so I will be feeding the fireplace as needed. Looking forward to it.
Every year we get a christmas tree, keep it in a bucket of water in the garage until a couple of days before christmas. I cut a couple inches off the trunk because it is supposed to help the trunk suck up water after it has been exposed to air for weeks and begun to dry out. Kinda for the same reasons as one might do for cut flowers to help make them last a little longer in a vase. That cut of end of the trunk ( and sometimes the hand saw too ) sits right there on the sole plate by the garage door all year until the next Christmas tree. Rather than end up with dozens of cut-offs on the sill plate I burn last year's cut-off making room for this year's. That's pretty much my yule log. I should stick a candle in it and eat Christmas eve dinner around it telling tall tales before tossing it in the wood stove ?