December 18, 2021

 

For our 18th yule calendar surprise, Agago tells us about her family's yule traditions. Here's a letter she sent for the yule calendar.

Hobbity Yule Log
Agago Longleaf

An old tradition of the Longleaf family wuz what we all called the Hobbity Yule Log. After the harvest feast, my family, Cousin Pozee's family, and our nearest neighbor would make'Gatherin fer Yule' plans.  We wuz given permission ta use a large farm nearby.  We hitched the ponies ta the wagon, put all the kids in the back and went down the road ta the large farm owned by two nice old Hobbit ladies.  There we would all take ta the wilderness in search of natural items fer Yule.  Many things were abundant on that farm.

We would gather boughs of holly and pine.  Pine cones wuz always a favorite too.  The Hobbit skill of rock throwin' came in handy at tryin' to bring down sprigs of mistletoe from the trees.  The mistletoe became a contest amongst us kids.  Who ever wuz able ta get the most mistletoe with the less amount a rocks got a special batch a Mama's honey topped blueberry muffins.  Mama also like what we used ta call lacy vine.  It wuz a very delicate evergreen vine that grew on the ground.  It made nice decorations fer the fireplace mantle and on the front door.

Of course the two most excitin things wuz gettin a Yule tree ta decorate, and gatherin the Yule Log.  It usually took some time ta get just the right Yule tree fer all three families.  Then we would go in search of a Yule log.  It wuz usually nice and round and about three ta four of our Hobbit feets long.  Pappy would saw it straight on each end and load it inta the wagon.  Then off fer home we would go with all us kids in the back of the wagon singin' Yule tunes.

Pappy would plane the bottom of the log so's it would sit still.  Then make two holes in each end fer candles.  Mama would decorate the Hobbit hole and we would help.  Then we would decorate the Yule tree and put a sock on the fireplace mantle fer Santie to gift us.  The Yule log wuz decorated with dried berries and pine cones, holly and pine sprigs.

The Yule log wuz placed in front of the fireplace.  It wuz always warm, and it made the Hobbit hole smell like a pine forest.  Every night fer twelve days we would light the candles on the Yule log.  It wuz believed that it would bring us good luck, good health, much happiness and a fine harvest of crops, pipeweed and ale fer the next year.  As the days grew longer and spring grew near, the Yule log wuz ceremonially burned in the hearth and a piece of it wuz kept ta use ta start the Yule log fire the next year.