The ABC's of Christmas ~ Y

The ABC's of Christmas ~ Y

Christmas is an event that one carries in one's heart, not just one day a year, but all year round. - unknown

Welcome to another ABC's of Christmas. Today's letter isY.

is for...
Yule log and Yuletide.


The Yule log is an ancient tradition that has its roots in celebrations of the winter solstice. Later it also began to have connotations with not only the light of the sun, but also the light of Christ, to give it religious symbolism. 
In England, a log so large that it had to be dragged by horses would be brought into great country houses and burned for the twelve days of Christmas. A remnant of the log would be kept to light the next year's log. The lighting of the log on Christmas Eve would commence the celebrations of Christmas.

Source

Today this practice is not so common, although it is often honoured in the way the French do, with a Buche de Noel, a chocolate cake shaped and decorated to look like a log. { Excerpt from The English Home}  

Yule or Yuletide is a festival observed by historical Germanic peoples. It is celebrated with gatherings that involve a meal and gift giving. It
later underwent Christianized reformulation resulting in the term Christmastide. {Wikipedia}

Please come back tomorrow for the final letter of the ABC's of Christmas, the letter Z.

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi