The Yule log is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America. Today, this tradition is celebrated by Christians and modern pagans on or around Christmas or Yule. The name by which this tradition goes, as well as when and how the Yule log should be burnt, varies widely with time and place. The first solid evidence for this tradition originates in 1184 CE as a Christmas eve tradition. The practice was originally known as the "Christmas log" (and still is in languages other than English), with "Yule log" first used in the late 17th century. The origins of the Yule log are unclear, with scholars proposing a variety of possible theories ranging from a medieval Christmas tradition, a surviving ritual from Albanian, Roman, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic or Slavic paganism, or as a Proto-Indo-European ritual that has survived in a variety of cultures until today.
Folklorist Linda Watts provides the following overview of the English Yule log custom:
