Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 109

PROPERTY

A treat that’s steeped in history

T

he chocolate Yule log is a
popular Christmas treat for
most families – but did you
know how this festive favourite is
steeped in history?
In fact, the history of the Yule log
goes right back to Europe’s Iron
Age, when Celtic Brits and Gaelic
Europeans would gather to welcome
the winter solstice in the dark days of
late December.
The Yule Log was originally an
entire tree that had been carefully
chosen and brought into the house
with great ceremony. The largest end
of the log would be jammed right
into the fire hearth, with the rest of
the tree sticking out into the room!
The log would then be lit from the
remains of the previous year’s log,
which would have been carefully
stored away.
People would feast to celebrate
the end of the winter season and
the prospect of longer days – and, to
cleanse the air of the previous year’s events
and usher in the spring, families would
decorate their logs with holly, pinecones or
ivy. Wine and salt were also often used to

anoint the logs, and once burned, the ashes
were kept as valuable treasures that were
believed to have medicinal benefits and to
guard against evil.
Even with the advent of Christianity,

the Yule log tradition continued,
although on a somewhat smaller
scale. Families still burned a log on
Christmas Eve, but smaller hearths
meant that huge logs were no
longer practical. Those small hearths,
however, were perfect for baking
cakes – hence the development of
the edible variety of Yule log.
It isn’t known who exactly made the
first Yule log cake, but it is thought
to have been as early as the 1600s.
Sponge cake, which often constitutes
the base of the log, is one of the
oldest cakes still made today, and
dates back to at least 1615, when the
first known recipe appeared.
It was Parisian bakers who really
popularized the cake in the 19th
century, and different bakeries
became known for their ever more
elaborate decorations.
Nowadays, most Britons will tend
to buy a ready-prepared Yule log
than make one at home – but it’s
still good to remember the origins of
this ancient custom as you tuck into this
chocolatey Christmas treat.

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