December 26 - Where goest the Yule Log?

Here is a letter that I sent to the Washington Post in my job as amateur investigative reporter. If I were a conspiracy minded person, I would think that the NPS is hiding something.

Wither goest the Yule Log?

Visiting the Yule log on the Mall is one of the highlights of Christmas for me and my husband.  Part of the larger Christmas celebration, the Yule log is located at the back of the Christmas pageant area in a large room size pit.  A roaring fire, with logs the size of small cars, is there to warm all those who visit the National Christmas tree. 

As late as 2007, there was a sign that explained the Yule log.  When I read it, I was proud that the National Park Service gave a pretty accurate history of the symbols of Christmas. So I took a picture of it.  It read: "The burning of the Yule Log is an ancient custom ante-dating the Christian era by centuries, it was part of a gay Festival celebrating the mythical God Thor. Later, the English made it an integral part of the Christmas Eve festivities, even as the beautiful Christmas tree, tho' likewise of Pagan origin, is so dear to our hearts as a Christmas symbol."

My assumption was that someone would be offended by the suggestion that a Christmas symbol had pagan origins.  And sure enough the next year, that sign disappeared.  I asked a ranger about it and he told me that the sign was being rewritten.  It seems that someone complained.  But the complaint was not the reference to pagans.  It was, he told me, the reference to "gay" festivals.  Doing a Google search, I located a discussion at Heathen News, a Yahoo User Group, in which a user noted his letter to the NPS complaining about the sign's inaccuracies including the use of the word "gay."  He lamented that the sign had not yet been replaced. 

The 2011 Christmas season has now passed and that sign was still missing.  Even worse, when we visited this year, the fire was poorly tended.  When we arrived there were a few logs, with little fire, just some burning embers.  When we pointed out to the ranger that the fire needed wood, we were greeted with some serious attitude.  He said, "Thank you" in peeved a manner that suggested we should mind our business.  This was someone who clearly should not have been dealing with the public.  But we persisted and the logs were finally added to the fire.  Using a forklift to heft hundreds of pounds of stumps into the pit, this is an event that should be seen if possible. 

But as we stood vigil at the fire, more than one person came up and said, "Oh look, a fire pit."  Of course they would think that since the fire is completely unexplained.  The NPS needs to get that sign back and the rangers need to tend that fire as one of the many symbols of Christmas that we as Washingtonians have come to love.

Marsha Schmidt