The Christmas trunk is possibly a tradition of Germanic or Nordic origin. Traditionally, the trunk is the largest and most hard to be achieved in the nearby forest, with the intention of burning with heat and brightness during the longest night of the year.

The trunk would be heavy and several people would be needed and perhaps horses to transport it home, what they would do while singing festive songs, possibly playing bells.

Christmas trunks decoration

The trunk can be decorated with vegetation and sprayed with wine, hydromiese the time to turn it on, a prayer of thanksgiving and hope was prayed.

Christmas trunk in flames

It is said that the burning of the Christmas trunk keeps evil spirits and negativity at bay and guarantees prosperity and protection of the home, especially if a part of the trunk is preserved throughout the year. The trunk of each year must start with the trunk part of the previous year.

Some cultures believe that the dead and other spirits walked on the solstice of Yule Night of Yule, the longest of the year, and the lit log helped to protect the home from their invasion.

Formerly, these trunks were huge and fit in the chimneys. Now the chimneys are small or non -existent, so Christmas trunks can be small or symbolic.

The trunks with drilled holes to adapt to candlesticks and decorated with vegetation are a popular substitute in modern pagan homes.

Consider making holes for four candles and when the lights of «log burn, Wheel Turn, Evil Spurn, Sun Return!».

Many also enjoy making Christmas trunk or bûche cakes.

Some Christmas trunk traditions

• The trunk is cut by hand on the eve of yule and pray in thanks to the tree.
• The trunk must be made of hard wood. Robleolm, pear, ashes or birch are mentioned in various ways.
• In a Bulgarian tradition, a hole is made in the trunk and filled with oil, incense and came before placing it in the fire.
• In Serbia, visitors must hit the trunk on with a stick to jump sparks while wanting the good things that the family experiences the coming year is as numerous as the sparks that jump.
• Yule trunk ashes can spread in the garden to ensure abundant crops or around the house to protect themselves from curses, evil spirits and other harmful energies.
• The wood of the remains of the Christmas trunk can be used to make amulets.
• The remains of the Christmas trunk must be stored under a bed. Will protect the house of the rays.
• If the Christmas trunk goes out before the sun rises, the house will run bad luck.
• If the shadow of someone projected by the flame of the Yule trunk has no head, that person will die before the next Yule.

The Christmas trunk in modern fiction and popular culture

In the 2018 Yuletide Special of the Netflix series the chilling adventures of Sabrina, the Yule trunk turns on to avoid spirits of invading the home during the longest night of the year (when they are more powerful) and when it goes out, the problems ensue.