Around the world, the middle of winter has traditionally been a festive period. Early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the deepest winter days centuries before the arrival of the man known as Jesus. When the worst of winter was over and they could finally look forward to longer days and more hours of sunlight, many people celebrated the winter solstice. The Norse people of Scandinavia observed Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. Fathers and sons would bring home big logs that they would light on fire to celebrate the sun's reemergence. It could take up to 12 days for the wood to burn out after which the populace would feast. Each flaming spark, according to the Norse, was a pig or calf that will be born during the upcoming year. In most of Europe, the end of December was the ideal period for festivities. The majority of cattle were killed at that time of year so they wouldn't need to be fed throughout the winter. Many people only have access to fresh meat during that time of year. Also, the majority of the wine and beer produced over the year had finally fermented and was ready for consumption.
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