A Red Hot Christmas Tradition

The sight of a log blazing on a hearth is always a heartwarming one, but at Christmas time it takes on special symbolism.

During this sacred season, a Yule log’s dancing flames signify the light and the blessings that came into the world on that December day so very long ago.

That’s why the Christmas morning telecast of a brightly burning log, accompanied by traditional Christmas carols, has become such a beloved holiday tradition for millions of American families.

The Yule Log first aired on Christmas Eve on WPIX–TV in 1966. Back then, the TV station’s notion was to provide New York City’s mostly fireplace-deprived apartment dwellers with a real-looking Yuletide fire. And realistic it was, with its two red Christmas stockings on the mantle and its bright, beribboned boxes.

In many homes, the Yule Log and carols were the entertainment for festive Christmas Eve celebrations; in other homes, weary moms and dads enjoyed the faux fireplace and their favorite carols while assembling and wrapping their children’s presents well into the wee hours of Christmas morning.

To the dismay of Yule Log fans, WPIX stopped broadcasting the log in 1990. In 2000, however, a fan, Joe Malzone, launched a “Bring Back the Log” campaign. He created a website, (www.theyulelog.com) asking people to send in their memories about the Yule Log, and collected some 600 emails supporting the blaze’s return. The campaign worked.

WPIX brought the log back for Christmas 2001, when in the wake of the World Trade Center tragedy, WPIX management wisely perceived that New Yorkers needed soul-soothing comfort. Since then, the Yule Log has aired for three or four hours every Christmas morning.