Why do we eat logs at Christmas?

Ingrid Boinet | 12/13/24, 12:11 PM

Every Christmas, the Yule log is a must-have on our festive tables. But where does this gourmet tradition come from? Discover its origins and the secrets that surround it!

the Yule log is an amazing tradition! Where does its name come from? And why this particular shape? While pastry chefs and major retailers vie with each other in creativity to satisfy every craving, this emblematic holiday dessert hasn't always resembled the one we know today. Here's its history and, as a bonus, our best places to enjoy one!

From tree to pastry

Long before it was a dessert, the Yule log was... a log. "Chosen from a thick section of fruit tree to ensure abundant harvests, or cut from a sturdy oak branch to guarantee sturdiness, the log had to be thick enoughfor the fire to burn through.the loghad to be thick enough to keep the fire going throughout Christmas night", explains anthropologist Nadine Crétin in her book "Fêtes et traditions de l'Avent à la Chandeleur".

The tradition, known in all regions of France and other European countries since the middle ages, had a different purpose in different families. For Breton writer Anatole Le Bras, for example, the Yule log"was intended for the deceased who came to visit the living, and was not to be used for cooking or heating", describes Nadine Crétin. For others, it served to ward off evil spirits or promised abundance and fertility. Even firebrands were kept to protect against fire, lightning and evil spells.

But the disappearance of fireplaces, replaced by stoves and radiators, meant the end of the log tradition... at least in its familiar form.

Who invented the Yule log?

The creator of this traditional dessert? A mystery! As is often the case, several people are disputing who invented it. Some believe that the dessert log was the brainchild of Parisian pastry chef Antoine Charabot, who invented buttercream in 1879. Others believe the pastry was created in Lyon by chocolatier Félix Bonnat. Pierre Lacam, pâtissier-glacier to Prince Charles III of Monaco, is also cited... In short, it's hard to say for sure, except to assume that the idea originated in different places at the same time... It wouldn't be the first time! Be that as it may, the bûche didn't make its mark until the end of the Second World War, when it became the Christmas dessert par excellence.

Where to find a good Yule log?

The Yule log is so popular that today, many shops offer their own creations. While some, like Philippe Conticini, have chosen to preserve the shape of the log this year, others have opted for very different reliefs. Luge, golden ingot, snowflake... Our selection of pastry chefs' logs for Christmas 2024has something for everyone !

To find Nadine Crétin's books:

Fêtes et traditions occidentales, Que sais-je? n° 3518, PUF, Reissue 2020 (1st ed. 1999).
Fêtes de la table et traditions alimentaires, Le Pérégrinateur, April 2015.
Le livre de Noël : Fêtes et traditions de l'Avent à la Chandeleur, Flammarion