continuing an ancient tradition....

 

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There is a custom that on Christmas Eve an enormous log of freshly cut wood called the Yule log would be fetched and carried to the house with great ceremony. On Christmas Eve, the master of the house would place it on the hearth, make libations by sprinkling the trunk with oil, salt and mulled wine and say suitable prayers.  Often the log was lit with a piece of the log from the year before. It was said that burning of the yule log brought prosperity and good luck to the household. Choices about the variety of wood, the way in which it was lit and the length of time it took to burn constituted a genuine ritual which could vary from region to region.

Although the name "Yule" is believed to have been derived from Scandinavian origins, the burning of a special log or branch at Christmas or during the Winter Solstice was widespread throughout Europe.  It is common to see pictures of Father Christmas carrying the big heavy Yule Log.  In England, the log was commonly burned from Christmas Eve to Epiphany.

More information about yule log  traditions can be found at Wikipedia.com