Burning a Yule Log to welcome winter solstice is believed to have brought upon the tradition of holiday lights. The yule log would offer light on winter’s darkest days while warding off evil as it summoned the return of the sun. Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, marks the astrological start of winter, where each following day is incrementally longer.
“In the midst of winter, I found that there was within me, an invincible summer”
Albert Camus
Happy Solstice!
(Photo of John Harney Sr. stringing lights upon a tree at the White Hart in Salisbury, 1960.)
