History of the Yule Log

One particular Christmas legend is literally a dying ember: the burning of the Yule log. Many Americans now have gas logs or no fireplace at all in which to burn the traditional massive log. Perhaps that’s best, as the strict set of guidelines—designed to ward off disaster during the coming year—for properly burning a Yule log boggle the mind.

First, logs—often a stump or root—had to be found on one’s property, or a neighbors’. It was considered unlucky to buy the log! Next, the log must be lit. Not with a match or bit of kindling. No, people used a small portion of the previous year’s log, hidden under the homeowner’s bed and safeguarded through the year for a couple of reasons: 1) to protect the home against fire and lighting during the year; and 2) to light the new Yule log. The person who lit the Yule log carried a weighty responsibility. He (or she) must have cleans hands—dirty hands signify disrespect. And the log had to catch fire on the first lighting attempt. If it did not, misfortune would surely follow that family for the upcoming year.

Once the log had successfully been lit (and the owner calmed with a bit of brandy or eggnog), the Yule had to burn continuously for twelve hours. During that time, the family drank cider and shared ghostly tales and stories of the olden days.

I like an evening by the fire as much—if not more—than the next mom, but I can definitely do without the ritual and pressure!

The Snow Maiden by Brenda Nixon

This week we're sharing the history of Christmas legends. Legends are made by retelling stories from one generation to the next.

The German Christmas Spider legend is in A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. You've probably heard that wealthy biblical scholar Clement C. Moore wrote Twas the Night Before Christmas for his children. But do you know the history of the Russian tale of The Snow Maiden? Mac Carey retells it here www.mymerrychristmas.com/2006/snowmaiden.shtml

After reading, answer these quiz questions:
Who accompanies the Snow Maiden to deliver her presents?
How often do Russian children expect a visit from the Snow Maiden?

I like the Russian proverb, "Fools shoot, and God directs the bullet." Do you have a fave legend? Please leave your comment here to entertain and educate us.

Brenda Nixon, http://www.brendanixon.com/
Co-Author, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

The History of the Christmas Cookie - By Trish Berg

I love baking Christmas cookies. We bake cookies all December long, from cut outs to nut meg logs, biscotti's to ginger bread men. So I wondered what the history of the Christmas cookie is.

Here is what I discovered:

"To discover the true meaning of Christmas (cookies), we had to look back--way back--in time. Now, it's no secret that sweets have been part of holiday rituals since long before Christmas was a declared a holiday (which was in 1870, in case you were wondering). But according to Foodtimeline.org, it was a combination of Eastern spices and European flair that contributed to the cookie's success:


Ancient cooks prepared sweet baked goods to mark significant occasions. Many of these recipes and ingredients (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, dried fruits etc.) were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages. They were highly prized and quickly incorporated into European baked goods. Christmas cookies, as we know them today, trace their roots to these Medieval European recipes. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America. German lebkuchen (gingerbread) was probably the first cake/cookie traditionally associated with Christmas.

Of course, the article goes on to state that sugar cookie type recipes descended from English traditions; perhaps their trip over the Atlantic was the inspiration for Animal Crackers, which were originally designed as Christmas ornaments.

While the tradition of Christmas cookies may have its roots in Medieval Europe, and while we may associate some cookies with the holidays more than others.

Source: The Cake Spy

So, since I know I have the BEST cut out cookie recipe in the WORLD, I wanted to share it with you.

SOUR CREAM CUT OUTS

Ingredients:

1 cup real butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

5 cups + more all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and eggs. (Recommend using wooden spoon, not Kitchen aid)

2. Add sour cream and vanilla and stir.

3. Stir in flour1 cup at a time, an.d add soda and salt.

4. By the last cup of flour, will need to mix with hands.

5. Roll out on a floured surface, not too thin, cut out.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes

*Use butter cream frosting in a can to ice

Topping off Christmas--Tree Toppers

This week the Word Quilters will share personal insights and the history of some Christmas traditions.

What do you put on top of your Christmas Tree, or do you put anything special at the topmost spike?

We never put anything on top of our tree until our children started to school. One year our daughter's school class drew self portraits that were then glued onto flying angels. She brought it home mid-December about the time we put up our tree, so I let her put it at the top. Her "angel" had a cute face and blond pigtails. Her brother, three years older, tolerated our tree topper that year, but by the next he protested her place of eminence.

That's when we bought a star. Our first star was an elegant glass star ornament about 14 inches tall. It lasted ten years or more, but then one year we found it shattered when we got out our Christmas decorations. That's when we bought a more durable, think plastic, star.

The star atop Christmas trees, reminds folk of the special "star" that shone over the place where the Christ Child lived in Bethlehem. This star's first appearance in the sky alerted the magi from the east that something magnificent was happening on earth, and they searched out the king star mystery because it was written in star script in the sky. If you want to know more about that original appearance in the sky, see this Web site by Rick Larsen, his findings, world wide lectures, and now a classy DVD with "star" explanations.

There are so many things I love about stars. They dispel darkness and gloom. I like that they shine so bright that stars millions and millions of miles away can be seen with the naked eye. A friend who had eye surgery was asked how his eyes were doing and he said, "They're great. I can see 93 million miles." Of course he was talking about seeing our sun star.

OK, I know I've rambled a bit getting around to the reason stars are placed on top of Christmas trees. How about your tree topper tradition? What do you put on top of your tree. Let us know.

No Batteries Needed

While there are many devices that after a few hours in the sun are recharged and ready to use, there are also a few that can be used when that sun is difficult to find. For several years now I've seen some radios and lights that can be cranked in order to charge the power supply and are gret for use in emergencies.

If you search online for "no battery radio," you will find several that can either be charged in the sun or have a wind-up recharge. I even saw one that features a radio, a light, a siren (for attracting attention in an emergency) and an outlet that can charge a cell phone. What a great idea for a camper too!

Next to solar and wind power a little "elbow power" is a great thing.

Mystical glowing garden globes

I found “Glow in the dark garden balls” with an online search and bought one for my sister as a Christmas gift last year. During the day small flecks of fluorescent material absorb sunlight and at night they softly glow.

There is no backup battery needed, and no tricky set up. You either buy a mounting stake for it to sit on or hang it from a tree branch. These are hand blown glass balls that are an ethereal blue green, as they gently glow in your garden.

I haven’t seen it at night since my sister lives in another state, but I think it would be very mystical to see one glowing in the dark and may buy one for me this year. One online company that sells them is Signals, which is where I bought the one for my sister.

A Solar-Powered Gift You Can Really Use!

My favorite energy-saving gift is one that also provides beauty at a relatively low cost. Plus, it falls into the set-it-up-and-forget-about it realm. What could possibly be this perfect, you ask?

Solar-powered garden lights! Available in a variety of styles and sizes, they reflect beauty (naturally glowing light) only when it’s needed (dusk and through the night). We installed them along a stone walkway in our front flower bed and just love the effect. I don’t even have to remember to turn them on and off!

What’s your favorite energy-saving gift?