Yule is the midwinter festival that marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, which falls around 21 December in the northern hemisphere. Many modern pagans and hedge witches celebrate it as the return of the light, with candles, evergreens, warm resin incense and a quiet moment to look back on the year and welcome the lengthening days.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is the point when the sun sits at its lowest in the midday sky and the hours of daylight are at their shortest. In the northern hemisphere it falls on 21 or 22 December, depending on the year. After the solstice the days begin, very slowly, to lengthen again. The word comes from Latin and means, roughly, "the sun standing still", because for a few days around it the sun seems to rise and set at almost the same place on the horizon.
People have paid attention to this turning point for a very long time. Some prehistoric monuments in these islands appear to be aligned with the midwinter sun. At Newgrange in Ireland, the rising sun shines along the passage into the inner chamber around the solstice, and at Stonehenge the main axis lines up with the midwinter sunset in one direction and the midsummer sunrise in the other. We cannot know exactly what the builders believed, but the shortest day clearly mattered.
Where does the name Yule come from?
Yule is an old word. In Old Norse the midwinter festival was called jól, and in Old English the months around midwinter had a similar name; the early medieval scholar Bede recorded that the Anglo-Saxons called them Giuli. Over the centuries Yule became another English word for Christmas, which is why we still talk about Yuletide and the Yule log.
Much less is known for certain about how midwinter was celebrated before Christianity, so it is worth being wary of very confident claims. Many of today's customs grew up slowly, mixing older seasonal habits with Christian festivities and later Victorian additions.
Old midwinter customs
Evergreens brought indoors
Bringing greenery into the house in the dark of the year is one of the most widespread midwinter customs in Britain and Europe. Holly, ivy, bay, rosemary and mistletoe were all used to deck homes and churches, and it is easy to see the appeal: in the bare months, plants that stay green feel like a promise that life carries on. In English folklore there were also local beliefs about when the greenery should come down, often by Twelfth Night or, in some places, by Candlemas at the start of February.
The Yule log
In many parts of Britain and Europe a large log was brought in and burned on the hearth over the Christmas season. Customs varied from place to place. In some households it was meant to burn for as long as possible, and in others a piece was saved to light the following year's log. Today a small log dressed with greenery as a table centrepiece carries the same spirit. If you add candles, keep them in proper holders well away from the leaves.
Wassailing
Wassailing takes its name from an old toast meaning "be well". It took two main forms. In one, people went from house to house with a bowl of spiced drink, singing and wishing their neighbours good fortune for the year ahead. In the other, found especially in the cider country of the south and west of England, people gathered in the orchards around Twelfth Night to sing to the apple trees, hang toast in the branches and make a good deal of noise, all to encourage a good crop. Orchard wassails are still held in many villages today.
The returning sun
Underneath all of these customs sits the same simple idea. The longest night has come, and from here the light will grow. Candles, fires and green leaves indoors all speak to that quiet hope.
How do modern pagans celebrate Yule?
In modern paganism Yule is one of the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year, sitting between Samhain and Imbolc. If you read our guide to Samhain traditions, you will know that Samhain looks towards the dark half of the year; Yule is the moment within that darkness when the light turns back. Our Wheel of the Year for beginners guide explains how all eight festivals fit together, and you will find seasonal ideas on our Wheel of the Year page.
How people mark it varies a great deal, but a few threads come up again and again:
- Keeping a vigil on the longest night, or simply sitting up a little later by candlelight, then greeting the sunrise.
- Decorating with evergreens, pine cones, dried orange slices and the reds, greens and golds of the season.
- Burning frankincense, myrrh or other resins for a warm, festive scent.
- Telling the story, popular in some modern pagan traditions, of the Oak King and the Holly King, who take turns to rule the waxing and waning halves of the year.
- Looking back on the year that is ending and setting a gentle intention for the one ahead.
A Yule altar can be very simple. A cloth, a candle, a sprig of something green and perhaps a pine cone is plenty. The Esoteric Fringed Altar Cloth – Life Death Rebirth suits the season well, since the solstice is so often seen as the point where the old year ends and the new light is born.
Simple Yule rituals at home
A candle vigil for the longest night
On the evening of the solstice, turn off the lights and sit for a while in the dark. Notice how it feels. Then light a single candle to welcome back the sun. A plain ivory candle from a pack of Manifest Magic Spell Candles works beautifully in a suitable holder, or for a softer glow, set a tealight in an iron votive candle holder. As you sit, think of one thing you are happy to leave behind with the old year and one thing you hope will grow in the new one.
Some people like to keep a flame burning through the night. For safety, keep your candle company only while you are awake: stand it on a heatproof surface, keep it well away from greenery, curtains, children and pets, never leave it unattended, and snuff it out before you go to bed. You can light a fresh candle in the morning, ideally as the sky begins to brighten, to greet the first sunrise after the solstice.
Decorating with evergreens
Use what grows in your own garden, or buy holly, ivy and fir from a florist or market, and only ever cut from someone else's land with permission. As you hang each piece, you might say a few words about what it means to you. In folklore, holly is often linked with protection, ivy with loyalty and friendship, and fir and pine with constancy through the cold.
Please take care: many winter plants and berries, including holly, ivy and mistletoe, are toxic. Keep them out of reach of children and pets, wash your hands after handling them, and never eat any hedgerow plant or berry unless it has been identified by an expert.
For a softer, longer-lasting touch, the Winter Tree cotton wall hanging brings the bare-branched beauty of the season indoors and can stay up all winter.
A resin blessing for the home
Frankincense and myrrh have been burned as incense for thousands of years, and their warm scent feels right for midwinter. To make a simple blessing:
- Stand a cast iron cauldron on a heatproof mat or tile and cover the bottom with a layer of sand.
- Light a charcoal disc, holding it with tongs, set it on the sand and wait until it is covered in a fine grey ash.
- Add a few small pieces of frankincense resin and, if you like, a little myrrh resin.
- Sit with it and let the scent drift through the room. Rather than carrying the hot cauldron about, waft a little of the smoke towards each doorway with your hand.
- Speak a short blessing in your own words, such as "May this home be warm, may this home be bright, may we welcome back the light."
- Leave the charcoal to burn out completely in the cauldron and let it cool fully before tidying it away.
If you would rather not handle charcoal, a brass resin incense warmer is another way to enjoy resin, and the ready-made Banjara Resin Cups – Three Kings are an easy seasonal choice, named for the gifts of the Magi. Follow the instructions that come with each.
Whatever you burn, use a heatproof surface, open a window a little for ventilation, keep it clear of anything flammable and out of reach of children and pets, and never leave it unattended. A cast iron cauldron becomes very hot, so handle it with care.
A gratitude list
Before the year closes, sit down with a warm drink and write a list of everything the year has given you, large and small. Many people keep the list with their Yule things and read last year's before writing the new one. If you keep a Book of Shadows, it makes a lovely page; our guide on how to make a Book of Shadows shows how to begin one.
Bring the season home
Yule does not need to be elaborate. A few candles, a sprig of green, a warm scent and a little time to stop are enough. The Agnes + Cat Herb Garden Candle – Clove brings a spiced, festive warmth to the table, and if you are choosing for someone else, our spiritual Christmas gift guide has ideas for every kind of seeker. However you mark the longest night, may the returning light find you well.
Questions and answers
When is Yule celebrated?
Yule is celebrated at the winter solstice, which falls on 21 or 22 December in the northern hemisphere, depending on the year. Some people mark it on the evening of the solstice itself, others on the nearest convenient evening, and some let the season run on to Twelfth Night. In the southern hemisphere the winter solstice falls in June instead.
Is Yule the same as Christmas?
Not quite. Yule is an old word for the midwinter season, and in English it later became another name for Christmas, which is why we still say Yuletide. Today many modern pagans use Yule for their own solstice festival. Plenty of people happily celebrate both, and the two share many customs, such as evergreens, candles and gifts.
What are the traditional symbols of Yule?
Common symbols include evergreens such as holly, ivy and fir, the Yule log, candles and lanterns, pine cones, and the sun itself as the light returns. Reds, greens, golds and white are popular colours. Many people also burn frankincense or myrrh resin, whose warm scent has long been linked with this time of year.
How can I celebrate Yule simply at home?
Light a candle on the evening of the solstice to welcome back the sun, bring a little greenery indoors, and take a few quiet minutes to write down what you are grateful for from the past year. You could add a resin blessing with frankincense. None of it needs to be elaborate; the point is to pause and notice the turning season.
Is it safe to burn resin incense indoors?
It can be, with sensible care. Burn resin in a heatproof cauldron or burner on a heatproof surface, with a layer of sand under charcoal, and open a window a little for ventilation. Keep it away from anything flammable and out of reach of children and pets, never leave it unattended, and let everything cool fully before tidying away.
