December 24 - Christmas Eve
The Christmas Yule Log
It’s Christmas Eve! Yikes! Time to either panic (and stay up late wrapping presents and preparing food) or to unwind with a mince pie and a mug of mulled wine, knowing that everything’s done. Here in Spain, I’m off to church and a bring and share Christmas Eve meal as Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) is the time for feasting here.
If you want to be a little bit Tudor, though, you could wrap yourself up in a nice warm coat, hat and gloves, and go out and find a nice big log. For in Tudor times, it was traditional for the men of the house to go out into the local wood on Christmas Eve, find a big log, decorate it with ribbons, and then drag it home. They would be rewarded for their efforts with some mulled ale before getting ready to go to Midnight Mass. This log would then be burned (continually) in the hearth for the 12 Days of Christmas. Apparently, the fire used to symbolise the light of the sun, but when it was incorporated from pagan traditions into Christmas, the light came to symbolise Jesus and his victory over sin. It was considered lucky to keep a bit of the log to light the next year’s Yule log.
If you don’t have a fireplace or stove, or you don’t have access to logs, then you could make a Yule log instead, a chocolate Yule log! Growing up, we always had a chocolate Yule log, or Bûche de Noël, at Christmas as not everyone liked Christmas cake. It’s easy to make.
Here are some links to recipes:
https://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/a501441/mary-berry-christmas-chocolate-yule-log/
https://goodfood.uktv.co.uk/recipe/mary-berrys-yule-log/
And here is a video too!