There’s something about a fireplace and the holidays that seem to go hand-in-hand. But what do if you don’t happen to have one in your home or apartment?
Sure, there’s the bonfire approach, but that could get dangerous. Instead, we recommend the timeless classic, the Holiday Yule Log.
Simply featuring a videotaped fireplace with holiday music in the background, for those who grew up in the New York City metropolitan area, the Yule Log is as much part of the holiday as old Saint Nick himself. The tradition began in 1966, when local area station WPIX designed the video a televised Christmas gift for the majority of New York-area apartment-dwellers without fireplaces.
In more recent years, the Log went national, and has been carried in various forms by broadcast and cable stations across North America. (Chicago’s WGN even overs a downloadable version for playback on iPods and other portable devices).
Unfortunately the classic WPIX Yule Log has yet to find its way to DVD, but several knock-off videos have been released and though they may not pack quite the same charm as the original, they should do in a pinch:
- Virtual Yuletide Fireplace - This digital fireplaces features holiday carols from Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Ella Fitzgerald and more. $8.95; available at Amazon.com.
- The Happy Holiday Hearth - This release from Rhino features sixty minutes worth of fireplace footage accompanied by three separate audio tracks: a holiday music track, realistic crackling fire sounds, or a combination of the two. The music track features traditional choral arrangements of classic Christmas songs, including “White Christmas” and “Silver Bells.” $7.97; available at Amazon.com.
- Fireplace: Visions of Tranquility - The only DVD title in this batch also available on high-def disc, this HDScape title includes four different types of fires, including a more intimate “romatic fire,” and a “complete” fire, depicting the full life of a fire, from the crackling start to the burning embers. Several audio options are included as well, including crackling sounds, music, or music and crackling sounds combined. The holiday-themed musical track is dubbed “Baroque Holiday,” (a second non-holiday “Night Music” track is also offered). $19.95; available at Amazon.com. Also offered on Blu-ray (24.95)
