Yule: The Pagan Winter Solstice and How to Celebrate It

Yule is the pagan festival of the winter solstice, celebrated around December 21 on the longest night of the year. It honors the rebirth of the sun: from this night on, the days grow longer and the light slowly returns. For Wiccans, Yule is one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year, and it's one of the coziest.

Evergreens, candles, the Yule log, mulled cider and gift-giving all belong to Yule, and if that sounds a lot like Christmas, you're right: the two holidays share a long, tangled history. In this guide you'll learn what Yule is, where it comes from, what it means in Wicca, its symbols and traditions, and simple Yule rituals you can do at home, alone or with family.

Quick answer: what is Yule? Yule is the winter solstice festival, celebrated by Wiccans and many other pagans around December 21 (around June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere). The name comes from an old Germanic midwinter festival. It celebrates the return of the light, the rebirth of the Sun God, and hope in the darkest part of the year.

How to Celebrate Yule in 7 Simple Steps

New to Yule? Here's a simple way to celebrate. Each idea is explained further down.

1. Find the date. Check when the solstice falls this year where you live. It's usually December 20, 21 or 22.
2. Bring in the green. Decorate with evergreens: a tree, a wreath, or a few pine, holly or ivy branches.
3. Set up a Yule altar. Add red, green, white or gold candles, pine cones, oranges and cinnamon sticks.
4. Light the longest night. At sunset, light a candle (or a Yule log) to welcome the sun back.
5. Share a feast. Cook something warm and spiced and share it with the people you love.
6. Give simple gifts. Handmade gifts, baked treats or a candle carry the spirit of the season.
7. Greet the sunrise. If you can, watch the sun come up the morning after the longest night and set an intention for the year ahead.

What Is Yule?

Yule is the midwinter festival of the Germanic and Norse peoples, and today it's also the name most pagans use for the winter solstice. The solstice is the moment the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, which gives us the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

For people who lived by the sun and the seasons, this was a big turning point. After weeks of shrinking daylight, the sun seemed to stand still and then begin to come back. Yule is a celebration of that turn: light in the darkness, hope in the cold, and the promise that spring will come again.

When Is Yule?

Most Wiccans celebrate Yule on the day of the winter solstice. The exact date moves a little from year to year because our calendar doesn't line up perfectly with the earth's orbit, but in the Northern Hemisphere it always falls between about December 20 and 23, most often on the 21st or 22nd. You can check the date for your area in an almanac, or see the season at a glance on our moon calendar.

Some witches celebrate on the evening before the solstice and keep a vigil through the longest night. Others celebrate Yuletide for twelve days, a custom that echoes the twelve days of Christmas. Some start the season at Samhain, the witches' New Year. There's no rule book: choose what fits your life.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are flipped. The winter solstice there falls around June 21, so many witches in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America celebrate Yule in June, and celebrate Litha, the summer solstice, in December.

The History of Yule

Yule is old, but not everything you read online about its history is true. Here's what we actually know, and where the guesswork begins.

Germanic and Norse Yule

The word Yule comes from Old English geol and Old Norse jól. In the 8th century, the English monk Bede wrote that the Anglo-Saxons called the months around midwinter "before Yule" and "after Yule," and that their year began on a night they called Modranecht, the "Night of the Mothers," around December 25. In Scandinavia, medieval sagas describe Yule as a time of great feasts, drinking toasts and offerings to the gods.

One of the names for the god Odin in Norse poetry is Jólnir, "the Yule one." Later folklore in Scandinavia and Germany linked midwinter with the Wild Hunt, a ghostly ride across the winter sky. People sometimes say Odin's long white beard inspired Santa Claus, but that's a modern guess; Santa mostly grew out of Saint Nicholas and later European and American traditions.

Saturnalia, Sol Invictus and Christmas

The Romans had their own midwinter festival, Saturnalia, held in honor of the god Saturn from December 17. It was a time of feasting, gift-giving, candles and turning the usual rules upside down. Later, a Roman calendar from the year 354 lists December 25 as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun, Sol Invictus. The same calendar is also one of the earliest records of Christmas on December 25.

Historians still debate why the early Church chose that date. Some think it was meant to replace the sun festival; others think it was calculated from other dates in the Christian calendar. What we can say is that, over the centuries, Christmas absorbed many local midwinter customs. In Scandinavia, Christmas is still called jul. Evergreens, feasting, the Yule log and gift-giving all show how pagan and Christian midwinter traditions blended together.

What Yule Means in Wicca

Yule is one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year and one of the four Lesser Sabbats, along with the spring equinox, the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. In the Wiccan story of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God at Yule. He grows through the spring, reaches his height at midsummer, and dies at the harvest, only to be born again the next Yule. You can read more about the Goddess and the Horned God in our guide.

The Holly King and the Oak King

Many Wiccans also tell the story of the Holly King and the Oak King, twin kings who battle for the year. The Holly King rules the waning half, from midsummer to midwinter. At Yule, the Oak King, lord of the waxing year, defeats him and the days begin to lengthen. Six months later, at Litha, the Holly King wins back the crown.

The Holly King is often pictured as a bearded figure dressed in red with a crown of holly, a little like Father Christmas. Both stories, the Sun God's rebirth and the battle of the two kings, say the same thing: the darkness never wins for good.

Yule Symbols and Traditions

Yule is all about rebirth, renewal and the return of the light. Even if you're brand new to Yule, you'll probably recognize most of its symbols. Here they are at a glance, with more detail below. For a printable list, see our Yule cheat sheet.

Correspondence	Yule associations
Colors	Red, green, white, gold, silver
Plants	Pine, fir, holly, ivy, mistletoe, cedar, rosemary, bay
Crystals	Garnet, bloodstone, ruby, clear quartz, snow quartz
Foods and drinks	Gingerbread, spiced cookies, roast pork or ham, nuts, oranges, apples, mulled cider, wassail
Symbols	The Yule log, evergreen tree and wreath, candles, bells, sun wheels, stars, pine cones
Deities and figures	The newborn Sun God, the Mother Goddess, the Holly King and Oak King, Frigg, Odin
Themes	Rebirth, hope, light in darkness, rest, family, generosity

Red, Green, White and Gold

Each of the Yule colors has its own meaning. Red stands for the newborn sun, life and warmth, like holly berries in the snow. Green is the color of the evergreens that stay alive all winter, and of growth, abundance and prosperity. White is the snow and the pure new light, and gold is the sun itself, along with wealth and success. Our guide to candle color meanings explains how to use each one in spells.

Wearing Yule colors is a fun way to celebrate, and using them in your decorations brings their energy into your home for the new year. Our guide to the colors of Yule covers each color in depth, with a five-candle color spell.

The Yule Tree and Evergreens

Evergreens stay green when everything else seems dead, so people have long brought them indoors in midwinter as a sign that life goes on. The decorated Christmas tree as we know it comes from Germany, and it spread widely in the 1800s. Many Wiccans call theirs a Yule tree. Each evergreen has its own meaning in folk magick:

• Holly: protection, luck and keeping away unwanted spirits.
• Mistletoe: fertility, peace and healing. Many witches hang it up so it never touches the ground.
• Pine and fir: healing, joy, cleansing and prosperity.
• Ivy: fidelity, rebirth and eternal life.

No room for a tree? A Yule wreath on your door or a few evergreen branches in a vase work just as well.

Yule Decorations and Ornaments

A Yule tree or wreath can be dressed with red and gold ribbons and lights. Bells are a traditional way to ring out negative energy. Dried orange slices are easy to make: slice an orange thinly, dry it in a low oven until crisp, and hang it with a thread. Pine cones, cinnamon sticks, star anise and bundles of herbs are lovely too.

You can also make ornaments from runes or crystals, or turn a clear plastic ornament into a witch ball by filling it with herbs and charms. Our guides to jar spells and witch crafts are full of ideas.

The Yule Log

The Yule log is one of the best-loved Yule traditions. Records of it come from many parts of Europe, mostly from the 1600s onward. In England, a large log was brought into the house at Christmas and burned in the hearth, and a piece was often kept to light the next year's log and protect the home. Some people kept the ashes as a charm for luck and protection too. In France, the tradition inspired the bûche de Noël, the chocolate Yule log cake many families still bake today.

Today many witches decorate a log with evergreens, pine cones and ribbon and burn it on the solstice, or set candles into it if they don't have a fireplace. For the full history of the custom across Europe and a step-by-step guide to choosing, blessing and burning your own, read The Yule Log: History, Meaning and How to Make One.

Wassail, Carols and Songs

Wassailing is an old English custom: going from house to house with a bowl of hot spiced ale or cider and singing to wish everyone good health. In some cider-making areas, people also wassailed their apple trees in midwinter to bless the next harvest. Singing carols, old or new, is a joyful way to celebrate. Many pagans sing traditional winter songs, write new words to familiar tunes, or simply make up a song for their deity. You don't need to be a musician: an off-key song from the heart is still an offering.

Yule Gifts

Gift-giving at midwinter goes back at least to Roman Saturnalia. Yule gifts don't have to be expensive. Handmade gifts, or things your friends can use in their practice, often mean the most: a spell jar, a hand-dressed candle, a small crystal or a jar of mulled spices. For 25 ideas for every budget, and how to bless and wrap a gift, see our witchy holiday gift ideas.

• Homemade cookies, jam or a jar of mulled spices
• Crystals or a small bundle of dried herbs from your garden
• Hand-dipped or hand-dressed candles
• A spell jar for luck or protection
• A spiritual bath kit
• A tarot deck, journal or book for a fellow witch

Yule Altar and Yule Foods

Your Yule altar can be as simple as one candle and a pine cone. Popular choices are red, green, white or gold candles, evergreen sprigs, pine cones, holly, oranges and apples, cinnamon sticks, bells and a sun symbol. Crystals like garnet, bloodstone, ruby and clear quartz suit the season too. Our Yule altar ideas guide walks you through it step by step.

Before you decorate, take a walk in a forest or park and gather fallen pine cones and evergreen twigs from the ground rather than cutting living plants. Leave some birdseed or nuts as a thank-you. Safety note: holly berries, mistletoe and ivy are poisonous to people and pets, so keep them out of reach of children, cats and dogs.

Yule food is warm, sweet and spicy: gingerbread, roast pork or ham, nuts, oranges and anything with cinnamon, clove or ginger. Our Yule recipes and foods explains what the traditional foods mean and has seven recipes for your feast. A simmer pot fills the house with the scent of the season.

Finish your feast with mulled cider, wassail or ginger tea. A warm mug by candlelight on the longest night is a ritual all by itself.

Yule Rituals and Celebrations

Many Christmas traditions look a lot like pagan ones, and many witches happily enjoy both. Gathering Yule decorations is also easy and cheap, because nature provides most of what you need, apart from ribbon and twine.

Celebrating With Others

If you'd like to celebrate with others, look for a local pagan group, moot or open ritual. In England, thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to watch the winter solstice sunrise, many of them pagans and Druids. People drum, sing and greet the sun as it rises.

At home, family traditions can be simple: a festive dinner, decorating the tree together, telling the story of the Holly King and the Oak King to children, or making holly water by soaking a few holly leaves in spring water overnight to sprinkle around the house for protection (don't drink it).

A Simple Solitary Yule Ritual

This ritual follows the longest night from darkness to dawn. You will need: a candle in red, white or gold, a fireproof holder, and a piece of paper and a pen.

1. At sunset on the solstice, sit somewhere quiet and turn off the lights. Spend a few minutes in the dark, thinking about what the past year taught you.
2. Write down one thing you want to leave behind in the dark, and one thing you want to grow as the light returns.
3. Light the candle and say: "In the longest night, I light the flame. The sun is reborn, and so am I. Welcome back, light."
4. Burn the paper with what you're leaving behind in a fireproof dish. Keep the wish for the new year on your altar or in your Book of Shadows.
5. Let the candle burn while you're awake, then snuff it out. If you can, watch the sunrise the next morning and greet the newborn sun.

Yule is also a perfect time to declutter, clean and start fresh. As you tidy, think about what you want to accomplish in the new year, and write your goals down. If you'd like guided rituals for Yule and every other sabbat, our Wiccan Holidays course walks you through the whole year. For more ways to mark the longest night, from a candle vigil to greeting the sunrise, see our winter solstice rituals.

Fire safety: never leave a candle, Yule log or fire unattended, keep flames away from dry evergreens, paper decorations and pets, and use a sturdy fireproof dish when burning paper.

Yule and Christmas: Can Witches Celebrate Both?

Many do. Lots of Wiccans and witches celebrate Yule as their sacred holiday on the solstice and also enjoy Christmas with family a few days later. Others celebrate only Yule, and some blend the two into one season of lights, food and gift-giving. Some people call this a "Wiccan Christmas," though most Wiccans simply call it Yule.

There's no right or wrong answer. If Christmas is part of your family life, you don't have to give it up to be a witch. Many of its customs, like the tree, the wreath, the feast and the gifts, sit comfortably alongside Yule. Celebrate in the way that feels honest and joyful to you.

Light Is Returning

Yule reminds us that even the longest night ends. Whether you burn a Yule log, share a feast or simply light one candle in the dark, you're part of a midwinter celebration people have kept for centuries. After Yule, the Wheel turns toward Imbolc and the first stirrings of spring.

We wish you a bright and joyful Yuletide. How will you welcome back the sun this year?

Sources

• Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn, 1988.

Check out our other articles:
The Holly King and the Oak King
Wheel of the Year: The 8 Pagan Sabbats
The Magick of Simmer Pots
Candle Color Meanings
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