A Cracklin’ Good Time
Fun December 25th, 2007Good Christmas morning! If you’re like me and you don’t have a fireplace to gather around with your family today, here is a suitable replacement. But without the heat and soot.
Behold! The WPIX Yule Log! For those living within about a hundred miles of New York City, you’ll recognize it. WPIX began airing the Yule Log in 1966 as a way to bring a crackling fire to the homes and apartments of New Yorkers who didn’t have a fireplace. For a ten year period, it didn’t air due to the high cost of running it without commercial interruption. It does air with Christmas music in the background, but stupid me forgot to turn the volume up.
If you’re curious about the Yule Log’s history, including whose fireplace was used in the filming and efforts to resurrect it during the un-aired years, check out its listing in Wikipedia. I learned here that the Yule Log is being aired in some other U.S. markets, including Chicago. If you’re not from the NY area, let me know if you’ve had the pleasure of seeing the log and where you’re getting it. I’m interested to know how far-reaching this little tradition has traveled.
I hope everyone is warm and toasty this Christmas morning.
Stumble it!
December 25th, 2007 at 10:48 am
I think I saw that in or movie or something once. That would have been good to watch on one of the televisions we had when I was little. The tubes inside it would get so warm- I’d put graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars together on a sheet of aluminum foil and lay it all on top. After ten minutes or so, I had indoor s’mores. Like an e-z bake oven with a video tube.
Luckily, our house never burned down.
Merry Christmas!
Terry’s last blog post..So Many Books, So Little Time…
December 25th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I remember it from the days I lived in Manhattan. Last year I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought the Fireplace DVD. When I have it on, people actually complain that my apt is too warm.
Suzy’s last blog post..The Christmas Rocking Horse
December 25th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Terry — Ahhh, the good ‘ol days of monster TV sets! Wait a minute. Were those the good ol days? I’ll take my flat screen TV and remote control any day! Merry Christmas to you too, Terry!
Suzy — I’d love to have my own copy of it on DVD. Then I could pop it in right when we open gifts Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. Not sure when or if WPIX runs it on Christmas Eve. I know it’s just the morning on Dec. 25, and for only a few hours. Classic!
I loved your Rocking Horse story. It was a miracle you found him in the trash. What a great story for Christmas day!
December 25th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
That or something very much like it was playing both Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day here in rural North Carolina. I don’t know what channel, my husband controls the remote!
December 26th, 2007 at 7:05 am
anti — I found something like this on another channel yesterday. In fact, I thought it was the authentic yule log, only to realize it was an impostor running on a local channel. Apparently the idea is a hit with other stations, too.
December 26th, 2007 at 7:25 am
This is a hoot. I saw this on TV yesterday, as I do every year. This is funny, but I guess some people do leave it one. Someone I know doesn’t have a fire place, myself included, and they burned a fireplace scented candle!
Natural Woman’s last blog post..Vegetate Day
December 26th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Btw, cool plug-in. (CommentLuv) That’s nice!!!
Natural Woman’s last blog post..Vegetate Day
December 26th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Natural — I totally left it on! It’s strangely addictive. Suzy informs us they make a Fireplace DVD, so I might have to check that out. It’s the sort of thing I would buy.
And, yeah, CommentLuv is a very nice tool to share the love. Another reason why WordPress rules!
December 26th, 2007 at 9:50 am
I love Holiday traditions that are cheesy! We pass “The Christmas Lizard” between family members as a gag gift. It’s a rubber lizard worth, like, .59 cents…
December 26th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Whose cat ears do I see next to the “fireplace”?
JD’s last blog post..I Love Christmas so you HAVE to!
December 26th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Buffalodckdy — I love your lizard gag gift tradition! We don’t have any in our family, but it’s high time we started.
JD — Yep, that’d be Lucky, the ham. The guy insists on getting into most every picture I take. Loves himself. Loves the camera.
December 26th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Interesting writing style,, kinda of a cross between
Emma Bombeck and Mary Shelley…funny and frightening
at the same time…next time I’m in the middle of writing a bottle of Bacardi Gold I shall visit again…fair warning… 😉
gt281’s last blog post..A ZOMBIE MORNING
December 26th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Hi Kathy,
You know, I never feel more nostalgic than when I see the WPIX Yule log on TV. On Christmas Eve I went to pick up the food for our party at the restaurant which catered our holiday party, and they had two large plasma screen televisions with the Yule log on. Talk about mixing the old with the new. Here was a couple of $2,000 TVs showing a fireplace burning a log which is meant for folks who do not have a fireplace. The best part is that in the main dining room of the restaurant is a fireplace. I thought that was funny. Thanks for the Yule Log memories. I hope you had a very, Merry Christmas. -Mike.
Mr. Grudge’s last blog post..The Language of the Dead
December 26th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Sad to say, we have a fireplace that we never light. Probably has something to do with the fact that the last time I tried to light it I filled the house with smoke. My wife won’t let me forget that one. Wonder if maybe she’d enjoy the T.V. version a little more.
Lee’s last blog post..‘Twas the Day After Christmas
December 26th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
For the first time in my life I DO have a fireplace, and I’m loving it!
Marie’s last blog post..Not Quite Back Yet
December 26th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
gt281 — Funny and frightening is one of the highest compliments I’ve ever been paid. And feel free to come back, whatever condition you’re in!
Mike — That IS funny. I can picture it. Sometimes the fake thing is more intriguing than the real. I love the yule log because it’s so kitchy!
Lee — That is SO something I would do. Kathy + fireplace = 911.
Marie — My sister has the only real fireplace I have access to. And I’m afraid to get close to it. See above. I do help her carry wood when she gets a delivery, but that’s about it for me and fireplaces. I’m sure you cozied up to yours Christmas Day. I have to stick with the TV version. It’s safer for me!
December 26th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I am lacking a fireplace too. But we don’t have that here in Texas (the tv station that is. We DO have fireplaces. That get used about 2 days a year…)
Hope you had a snazzy day!
Margaret’s last blog post..My Wish for Each and Every One Of You…
December 27th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I’ve venture a guess that most people don’t use their fireplaces, but two days a year. Unless they’re gas. No fuss, no muss! Hope you had a very merry Christmas!
December 27th, 2007 at 9:34 am
I used to watch it when I was younger and when I saw it on TV, I did linger for a while and wonder if anyone else was watching.
Natural Woman’s last blog post..Vegetate Day
December 27th, 2007 at 10:08 am
We have a wood fireplace but this year I didn’t plan well enough and now I don’t have any more firewood, so for Christmas Eve I bought one of those Duralog things for way too much money and used that instead. I’m thinking the video would have been easier. And cheaper!
Jeff’s last blog post..Winter
December 27th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
You know, in africa, there isn’t a whole lot of wood. They tend to burn other kinds of logs. Boy, and I glad we live where we live!
December 27th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Natural Woman — Oh, yes, people were watching and probably wondered the same thing. Feels funny to sit there watching a fire on the screen, doesn’t it? But I’ve watched stranger things than that! See: http://junkdrawerblog.com/2007/09/my-boob-tube-can-beat-up-your-boob-tube.html
Jeff — And I’m betting those things don’t burn as long as the name implies. Probably goes up like a match stick. Sorry to see your car was out of commission. Hope you got it started! Winters in Minnesota. Don’t think I have the guts.
Mike — Um, I’m thinking I know what kind of logs you mean. I would agree we are luckier than we know.
December 27th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Hey Kathy, we be in the Motor City and I have never seen anything like that before. Ever. That’s interesting, I guess.
cardiogirl’s last blog post..My eyes are open, but unseeing
December 27th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Cardiogirl — Sorry you haven’t had the “pleasure” of seeing the yule log in your neck of the woods. It is interesting in its own weird way. I shall be watching again next year!
December 27th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Ah, we have the Yule Log up here in Canada too… but we have the real thing, so we seldom watch it.
Maureen’s last blog post..Set The Wayback Machine to 1997 Sherman
December 28th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Maureen — You’re lucky to have the real thing. I’m sure in Canada, you need something that actually casts warmth. For us, I just turn up the heat and watch on TV 🙂
January 28th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
I live in Los Angeles and one of the television stations does something similar on Christmas Day. That makes Christmas morning so much more enjoyable, although my kids are so busy with the unwrapping of gifts they never really pay attention, but all the adults truly enjoy it. This year my sister in law invited us to her new house for the holidays and she has a beautiful family room and an even more beautiful fireplace. The fireplace mantel she just had put in is simple but goes with her furniture and the over all look of the room. We lucked out this year, I have always wanted a fireplace in my home. My sister in law and her husband travel alot, I am looking forward to house sitting as much as I can!
January 29th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Fireplace Mantel — Nothing beats a real fire on Christmas, or any other day. But the yule log on TV is the closest I’ll get to one, and I don’t have to worry about burning my house down!
February 12th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I live for the holiday season, the family gatherings and the over all atmosphere is just lovely. Fireplaces make the gatherings even more enjoyable, I have a fireplace and use it all the time. That was a priority when I was looking for a new apartment and I was lucky enough to find a great place with a fireplace in the living room. After moving in to my new rochelle apartments complex I unpacked as fast as I could and turned on the fireplace. It felt like home from that moment on.
February 14th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
New Rochelle apartments — Same for my sister. Once she had a house with a fireplace, the next one she bought had to have one. Nothing like the warmth of a fireplace (tho I’m so lazy, I would never want to clean it and it would probably be unused, sadly).
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I stayed in a Manhattan condo once a long time ago and this was one of the highlights of my trip – that fake fire on the TV! I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Manhattan House — It still IS the greatest thing since sliced bread. So kitschy, but I love it!