Beulah Yule Log Festival
A Goat-O-Rama Tradition
Reading Time: 5 minutes
The sun glistened like diamonds on top of a freshly fallen foot of snow. The air was crisp and cold. The kind of cold that tingles your nose on its way down and burns your lungs just a little. It was exhilarating! The year was 2013, and it was our first time at the annual Beulah Yule Log Festival. Rooted in Scandinavian tradition, the Yule Log festival honors the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. It’s been held every year in the tiny town of Beulah, Colorado, since 1952 and is one of the oldest continuously celebrated Yule Log festivals in the nation.
Phil and I were excited to attend, and since goats figure prominently in Scandinavian Christmas tradition, we decided to bring two young doelings with us to join the hunt. Nubbin and Petunia were as excited as we were. A special log, identified by a ring tied to one end, was hidden somewhere in the Mountain Park, and the townspeople had gathered to find it. The park is enormous, hilly, and wooded, so it can be quite a hike to find the cleverly hidden Yule Log.
A woodsman, clad in festive green, sounded a bugle and the hunt was on! Townspeople charged off in all directions, plunging here and there through the deep drifts. Nubbin and Petunia took off like bloodhounds on a scent, straining at their leashes.
Forty-five minutes later, Phil and I heard a triumphant shout: “HALUEB!” (Beulah spelled backward), which signified the end of the hunt. Someone had found the Yule Log. The Bugler sounded his horn to call everyone to the spot. Long ropes were attached to the ring on the log, and the winner straddled it while the crowd hauled on the ropes to drag the victor back to the beautiful stone pavilion around which the Yule Log festivities are centered.
At the pavilion, the Yule Log is hoisted onto a cross buck and sawn in two with an old-fashioned crosscut saw. One half is burned on the Yule Fire and the other half is saved to start next year’s Yule Fire. The winner is toasted with wassail and the crowd attacks a long table filled with hundreds of homemade cookies provided by local residents. The Yule Log celebration is always preceded by music, festive readings, and a blessing of the animals. The Bunde Girl, a youngster dressed in colorful Swedish garb, carries a sheaf of wheat and seeds to feed the wild birds.
The annual Beulah Yule Log Festival celebration has become a fixture of our household Christmas tradition, and our goats, in turn, have become an honored and expected part of the festivities. After all, a Scandinavian-style Christmas is not complete without goats! In Swedish tradition, Santa Claus is often depicted leading or riding a “Jul Bokken” (Yule Goat) or driving a goat-drawn sleigh. Last year, we hunted at the wrong end of the park, and it took us ages to make our way to where the Yule Log had been discovered. No matter! The bugler kept calling until the goats arrived to help pull.
After the goats help drag the log back, they’re peppered with affection and cookies. People admire their large horns and gentle demeanor. We usually tip their horns with tennis balls and wrap them in festively-colored vet wrap to prevent accidents. We’ve never had a goat hit or poke someone, but we’ve had careless people run into the horns. It’s a wonderful time for people to learn about goats and discover what beautiful, gentle, and useful creatures they are.
Our goat, Finn, has attended the Yule Log celebration every year since 2015. Last year, a small child approached Phil and asked, “Has Finn been coming to the Yule Log forever?” Phil looked at the kid, who was about 8 years old, and said, “Yes, in your case, he has.”
In addition to the Yule Log celebration, Beulah holds a fabulous parade of lights the evening before. Despite the town’s small size, the parade is always huge. It seems that every resident builds a float and rides or marches in the parade. There are as many people participating in the parade as watching it.
Phil and I bring our goats and carriage, and I drive the team while Phil plays Santa Claus and throws candy. The parade route is long and dark, with just a few houses dotted along the way until we get to the gas station near the corner, where a crowd gathers and cheers beneath the fluorescent lights. Phil and I have driven our goats in many parades over the years, but the Beulah parade stands out as the most fun. If you’re ever in southeast Colorado in December, look up the Beulah Yule Log Festival. You’ll be sure to see us there with our goats!
NAN HASSEY and her husband Phil live on 40 acres in Rye, Colorado, where they breed pack and dairy goats. They bought their first pack goat in 2002 and started their own breeding program in 2012. They love Alpine/Nubian crosses and have trained their wethers to pack and to pull carts and carriages in single and team hitches. www.goatorama.com
Originally published in the 2024 Winter issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
