Angelenos hoping to open presents by a roaring fire on a chilly Christmas morning this year are out of luck. The weather’s cold enough, but local air quality officials on Christmas Eve put in place a no-burn order for the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and
all of Orange County.
Luckily, we have the internet, and there are a plethora of virtual options.
The original, of course, is the WPIX Yule Log, a three-hour-long loop of a 17-second-long film of a roaring fireplace at Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayor’s residence that first aired on Christmas Eve on 1966. For those the in the tri-state area, the station will air the 1970 version of its Yule Log from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on on Christmas Day. For those whoo want the 1966 original, WPIX will air that footage from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. It can also be streamed during those same windows here.
A YouTube version of the 1970 footage is embedded below.
Among the most popular options is Netflix’s Fireplace for Your Home. First launched in 2011, the offering includes a trio of fireplace episodes, created by George Ford, can now be viewed in vivid 4K Ultra HD. The three original 60-minute videos offer slightly different atmospheres: Cracking Yule Log Fireplace, which includes music such as “Joy to the World” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”; Cracking Fireplace, which eschews music; and Crackling Fireplace with Music, for a more neutral cheer. Stream them here.
DC created its own Christmas hearth 10 Hour Yule Log Fireplace with a blaze lit by Superman. Watch below.
If you have Roku, there’s a Yule Log Channel, witch provides both a Yule Log and Holiday Specials from the public domain. Watch here.
Through December 31, Spectrum TV customers looking for some cozy holiday spirit can find it in the Holiday Yule Log On Demand category. The Yule Log category is free for Spectrum video customers and features eight channels of crackling seasonal ambiance, including festive fireplaces, warm piano sounds and presents under the tree.
The Hallmark Channel, which is well-known for Christmas programming, has a Holiday Yule Log posted online.