How to Make a Yule Log

green pine needles with snow
Many traditions celebrate differently, so why not try something new this season?

We’ve all heard of a “Yule log,” but do you know where it came from? Originally Nordic, the Yule log has made its way through Scandinavia, Northern Europe, parts of Germany, and on to America through immigration. 

While people still argue about the origin, the roots point to Germanic paganism as the start. It was adopted later along with other pagan rites into the celebration of Christmas. Today, we can still see and hear their remnants in our decorations and carols.

Why not celebrate with a Yule log this year? You can teach your family something new and put that fireplace to merry use!

Celebrating with a Yule Log

While our ancestors had one specific way to use the log, we can celebrate in at least three different ones. The first two involve fire, so please be cautious with not only your living space but also children or small animals. The last one is a tasty addition to any dinner table.

The Ancient Way

According to folklore, the Nordic people would place an entire tree into their hearth or a bonfire and burn it throughout the season. They wrote down wishes or put decorations on it as it burned to inspire them throughout the year.

yule logs stacked up outside in a field
Grab some wood that you like from your local store or even outside.

Now, it may not be the best idea due to space constraints, but you can select a lovely piece of wood from outside or buy one from a store. This log can be your Yule Log. 

All you do is place it in the fire and burn it like other firewood. You don’t have to decorate it, but it could be a nice activity for a colder, quieter night. You can even talk about your wishes with your family as you burn it.

The Modern Way

If you’re in the city, you might not have a fireplace or any area to burn a large item. Not to worry, you can still join in on this tradition. We think this could have been an adaptation specifically for this problem.

Instead of burning your log, you can use it as part of your winter decor. You start by purchasing or finding a nice piece of wood. Then, you can decorate with ribbon, pine needles, fake snow, ornaments–whatever you’d like. 

When you’re satisfied, use a small tool or hot glue to arrange candles to burn on top of it. This is symbolic of the fire from earlier, but with no large, dangerous flames. 

This arrangement can adorn your mantle, dinner table, or even on a ledge. Just make sure to keep an eye on the candles.

The Tasty Way

Our personal favorite–a Yule Log cake!

You can simply purchase one, but baking it at home makes it extra special. Start with any cake recipe. However, chocolate does have the aesthetic you’re looking for.  

Bake a cake as normal from any box from the store or home recipe. You’ll want it in a thin, square or rectangular shape.

baking a yule log cake ingredients
The holidays are an excellent time to bake things from scratch! Try a new recipe, and share it with friends.

Place a towel down on your counter and cover it with wax paper, then dust it with powdered sugar. While your cake is still warm from the oven, gently remove it from the pan, and transfer it onto the paper. You can then gently roll it over onto itself.

While you let it cool completely, make your favorite icing, or grab your storebought container. Gently unroll the cooled cake and spread the icing in the center. If you’re going for a chocolate cake, cream cheese icing is divine.

Reroll the cake back up, but remove the towel, placing the seam side down onto your serving platter. Refrigerate for about half an hour. Then, you’re almost done!

With your cooled cake, spread chocolate frosting over the top. Then, decorate with chocolate shavings. Bonus tip: use marshmallows and chocolate caps to create mushrooms or use those marshmallows covered in frosting to create knots on your “log.” You can also use a fork to stripe it, making it look even more like a log.

Any way you slice it, a Yule log can brighten up your holiday season. Whether you’re burning wishes for the next year, or cooking up something fun, this festive tradition is best enjoyed with your family and friends close by.

Don’t Wait For Santa, Help An Isolated Senior This Christmas

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, to some. To others, especially lonely seniors, it is a very depressing time. Some seniors exist in the “assisted living” environment; they cannot travel to see loved ones, don’t get visits, or are immobile. To make matters worse, some are dealing with the loss of a loved one, even a partner.

Santa hands holding wrapped gifts
You can volunteer to help make a lonely senior happy this Christmas by volunteering in the Be A Santa To A Senior program.

If you are looking for a way to give back to the community, try volunteering in the Be a Santa to a Senior Program. This program is a holiday-oriented and was created to give attention and joy to isolated seniors. 

The Program

During the holiday season, Home Instead Senior Care partners up with local non-profit, community organizations to find seniors who are lonely and not receiving gifts. They ask the seniors what they need, and then they create a tree ornament with the request. Local businesses like retail stores help Home Instead by placing these trees in their lobbies or otherwise.

How You Can Help

You can make a senior’s day this Christmas by participating in the Be a Santa to a Senior Program. The gift, no matter how small, could completely change their holiday. Kindness is the real gift here, and showing this person that they are not alone. Someone cares enough to give up their time to help a stranger. 

You can help by:

  1. Finding a participating Be a Santa to a Senior location.
  2. Removing an ornament off the tree with a senior’s gift request.
  3. Purchasing the gift requested.
  4. Putting the ornament and the unwrapped gift in the designated box at the participating store.
Christmas tree with silver ornaments
Seniors will write what they need and it will be put on an ornament. You can pick up the ornament and buy what they ask for and bring it back to the store.

The program began in 2003 and runs across the USA and Canada, and has helped by providing more than a million gifts to 700,000 seniors. An example of a request can be “a pair of reading glasses for Sam.”

When you purchase the request and place it in the designated box, it is then gathered by volunteers. These volunteers collect the items, wrap them, and deliver them to the seniors. 

You can give a lonely senior knowledge that someone cares;. A stranger went out of their way to get them something from their Christmas list.

Depression in seniors impairs their ability to function and enjoy life. It can also contribute to poorer overall health, not to mention a higher suicide risk. According to data collected in 2015, people 85 years old and older had the second-highest suicide rate in the U.S. 


If you are able to give up some of your time and a small amount of money, find a participating Be A Santa To A Senior location and grab a bulb (ornament). You will make that senior’s Christmas joyful, and unforgettable. Everyone can use a little pick-me-up during the holiday season, so why not be a Santa to a senior who needs it?