Yule Log

I can imagine the Sinclare brothers are busy walking the woods in search of the perfect Yule log and wishing their youngest brother Ronan was with them.
Burning a Yule log is a long standing Christmas tradition, though it started long before the first Christmas. It's part of the Winter Solstice celebration, when the darkest part of the year dies and light is once again reborn. Sprigs of holly were tossed into the fire to cast off old troubles and to start anew. There was song and dance, storytelling and food and drink. A bit of the previous year's Yule log was saved to help start the new one and to keep continuity. The saved piece was also believed to keep the house safe throughout the new year.
Since I presently don't have a fireplace, I plan on doing as the French did when big fireplaces in France began to become obsolete. Instead, they created a cake roll resembling a log and called it "Buche de Noel." I intend to bake one, place a sprig of holly on it and encourage my guests to do the same, casting off the old and starting anew.