Since 1966 the television station WPIX in New York has broadcast 24 hours of uninterrupted wood burning in a fireplace. It was a total hit until 1990 when the program’s high cost (with no advertising) saw its flame go out. However, Yule log activist Joseph Malzone created a “bring back the Log“ website. In 2001 WPIX brought back the Yule log and it has been the most watched TV program in New York for Christmas ever since. View the Yule log on youtube here.

The burning of a Yule log has its roots in pagan times before the advent of Christianity. The felling of a tree and burning a nice straight log through Christmas and Christmas Eve is believed by many cultures to bring you good luck and fortune. See  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_log 

Taking this tradition one step further, the area of Catalan in Spain calls their Yule log Caga Tioln which literally translates to English as the Pooping log. The Catalan tradition requires you to buy a hollowed out log with a face carved into it. You feed treats into the log every day from 8th December, then on Christmas Eve or Christmas day you put the log into the fire and beat it with sticks to get it to poo out the treats.

A song accompanies the beating that goes like this.

poop log,
poop turrón,
hazelnuts and cottage cheese,
if you don’t poop well,
I’ll hit you with a stick,
poop log!

Pooping log image here at http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20858

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