KFC Just Brought Back Its Bizarre Chicken-Scented Firelogs

The winter holidays can't come soon enough. Their arrival will mean that 2020 is almost over. For a year that has brought a global pandemic, police violence and nationwide street protests, and a tense presidential election, the comforts of the holidays will be a welcome respite. KFC is getting into the holiday spirit a little early this year, offering what they call their "favorite holiday tradition." No, it's not a Colonel Sanders costume contest for Halloween. Nor is it a Thanksgiving turkey fried with 11 herbs and spices (although Popeyes has something like that). Rather, it's a tradition a lot more bizarre but still popular, apparently – an artificial log that burns with the scent of KFC's fried chicken.

This is the third year in a row for the 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog, which wasn't offered last year until early December (via USA Today). Maybe KFC knows we would like to get into the holiday spirit early this year, with a chicken-scented log that should be paired with – what else? – a bucket of KFC. "... [I]n a year of unpredictability, nothing is more comforting than knowing that you will once again be able to cozy up next to a fried-chicken scented fire while enjoying the mouth-watering taste of KFC's world-famous fried chicken," a KFC press release said.

For the first time this year, people looking for a weird yule log can find the KFC firelog in select Walmart stores as well as the Walmart website. Check the website to see if the Walmart near you carries the KFC log. They're being offered at a discount this year, too: $15.88, compared to $18.99 a year ago. The logs sold out quickly the past two years, so if you're looking for the perfect white-elephant gift, don't delay.

You can think of KFC's log as a big scented candle. It's made entirely out of recycled materials by Enviro-Log, which is the continent's largest recycler of waxed cardboard. Each log burns for two and a half to three hours, which means the scent of fried chicken will linger in your home much longer than a bucket of KFC. This probably goes without saying, but the kind people at KFC and Enviro-Log make a point of saying it anyway: Don't try to eat the log, as good as it smells. And don't stick your face too close to the fire to get a good whiff. Because, you know, waxed cardboard isn't nutritious and fire is really hot.

KFC might be early with its Christmas tradition this year, but Burger King had them beat by a few months. In the spirit of getting 2020 over with already, BK ran a Christmas in July promotion with a two-for-$5 deal (via Muse by Clio).