Christmas is a time of tradition. For many people, that tradition is snuggling in front of a roaring fire. This is in no small part because Christmas traditions are, many of them, started in cold regions. When the traditions of your holiday are in Germany and the British Isles, they’re going to feel a hint out of place in, say, Los Angeles County. Especially after the Sierra Madre earthquake, which damaged our chimney enough so that it had to be taken down, which does pretty much eliminate your “roaring fire” options, though I seem to remember having them at Aunt Susie’s house, but I don’t know how much of my memories of that is because Christmas morning there is kind of an idealized Perfect Christmas in my mind.

But if, say, all you have is a wood-burning stove that you can’t find the flue control on, Disney+ has you covered. For a whopping three hours on repeat, you can see the great fireplace at Arendelle Castle with a fire burning merrily away. The castle has been decorated for Christmas, a holiday they apparently canonically have there (I still haven’t seen that short), and you can look at the little paper snowflakes and stockings and things. Sometimes, Olaf runs across.

Okay, I admit it. I don’t get the video Yule log thing. I watched the RiffTrax one earlier this week because it included clips from various RiffTrax bits, and that’s always fun. And there’s the one that’s just Darth Vader’s funeral pyre. But just . . . leave the TV on with a fire on it? I don’t get that. Maybe just don’t worry about a fire. You don’t need to have one; the holidays don’t have to be Victorian to be worthwhile, and you can set your own traditions.

This version seems to be aware that Yule logs are inherently boring, because there is, on occasion, that moment of Olaf running across. Perhaps that’s enough to keep small children’s attention, but why should it be interesting? I have spent time around fires in the past—campfires and fireplaces both—and the fact is, I’ve never been by a fire where you spent any length of time with the fire as the focus. You maybe spend a few minutes looking at the fire, and then you turn to the people with you and talk to them. Or, at faire, sing or tell stories.

We can’t necessarily be with our families this year. And maybe a Yule log will remind us of better times and let us hope for better times to come. But if you are able to be with those you love, you don’t really need the Yule log. Even with Olaf occasionally running past.

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