The Yuletide season grows as an aura of magic and mystery until after midnight on December 24th. This night is called Matrum Noctem, translated as the Night of the Great Mother. This spirit of Yule, the presence of mystery inspires visions of a better world in our hearts and minds.

The Yule tree was a Fir, Evergreen or Pine, and the decorating of it can be dated back to Pagan times.

They would decorate it with brightly colored decorations to symbolize the sun, moon, and stars. It would also represent the souls that had passed away the previous year. They would also hang gifts on the Yule tree for the many different Pagan Gods and Goddesses. The Druids would decorate the trees with images that represented their wants and desires for the coming year.
 
The custom of lighting the Yule log represents the birth of a God from the fire of the Mother. The Druids would say a prayer of thanks to the spirit of the tree before they would cut it down.

The tradition of burning a Yule log was to honor the Great Mother Goddess. They would light the log on the eve of the solstice, using the remains of the log from the previous year. For good luck, they would burn it for twelve hours.