Among the Celts, during the winter solstice, the tradition was to decorate a tree. This symbolized the life and renewal associated with this date, which marked the beginning of the days that are getting longer. This tradition has been carried on, and the Christmas tree has entered every home. It is decorated with balls, small offerings, light garlands... And it is at its foot that, traditionally, Christmas gifts are placed.
Santa Claus, this character with the long white beard well known to children, was born in the middle of the 19th century. His mission:to bring gifts to children on the night of December 24-25. To carry out this task, he is of course helped by his famous elves, who prepare and wrap the presents, and his faithful reindeer, who take his sleigh along. It is largely inspired by the Viking god Odin, who descended from the heavens to deliver gifts to Scandinavian children.
Like the Christmas tree, the Yule log also celebrates the winter solstice. Since the Middle Ages, the tradition has been to burn a large log of wood in the fireplace for several days. This tradition was supposed to guarantee good harvests for the coming year. At the beginning of the 20th century, this log of wood was gradually replaced by a cake in the shape of a log, due to the disappearance of large fireplaces in homes. Thus was born the Yule log that we know today, a sponge cake decorated with flavored butter cream and decorated with small objects reminiscent of the world of the forest. Today, the Yule log has little to do with the traditional wooden log, except for its elongated shape, which remains intact.
