Yule is a holiday of winter solstice. Originally celebrated by ancient pre-christian Northern Europeans, over time it has been absorbed into many winter celebrations and observations. Yule is is a festival of light and shares qualities with the holidays of other religions found at this same time of year, including Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. All of these holidays recognize the principles of light, rebirth, and joyous expectation of the coming new year.
The Yule log is an old winter solstice tradition and often the highlight of solstice night. Traditionally the log was acquired off of your own property or received as a gift, as you were not supposed to purchase your Yule log. Once a log was selected it was decorated with evergreen, holly and other seasonal green plants found on hand and placed in the fireplace.
It was then set to light with a piece of wood saved from last year's Yule log. In this way the fire from this night was linked back to all those other fires that had gone before, all lit from a piece of wood saved from the previous year. Then the log was left to burn throughout the night and allowed to smolder for 12 days after.
This month's Printable Fun is a Yule Log coloring page. Click on the image above or here to download the PDF. Then print, color and decorate for Yule!
