12 Days of Yule – A Modern Pagan Guide

In ancient times, the 12 Days of Yule looked very different to how they do now. Originating from, and inspired by, the Norse Pagan celebration of Jól, today’s Yule festivities are far more eclectic—infused with a witchy, Wiccan, Nordic twist and a sense of whimsical magick.

Traditional Norse Pagan Yule was celebrated at midwinter, typically

between January and early February. Some even waited until the first full moon after the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. These celebrations still exist today within Ásatrú communities and are likely the closest we will come to the original practices of Yule… just without the sacrifices.

Oh, how much has changed since our ancestors honoured the old ways.

One of the most significant changes has been the dates on which these sacred festivals are celebrated. As mentioned above, Jól was not originally a December celebration. This modern timing is largely due to calendar changes in the 1400s—something I’ll explore more deeply in another blog. Simply put, we now follow the Gregorian calendar. And the Pagan Wheel of the Year? as many of us know it, was developed less than a hundred years ago alongside modern Wiccan practices.

Today, Yule is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, around December 21st—the shortest day and longest night of the year. It symbolises the return of the Sun God, Sol, and across cultures, countless traditions have emerged to honour this sacred turning of the light.

So, let’s look at what serves us now, and how you can celebrate the Pagan holiday of Yule, or as some of us pagan witches lovingly call it, Yulemas, in 2025.

How to Celebrate Yule

☆ Day 1 – Mother’s Night (Modranecht)

December 20th

On the eve of the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, we honour Modranecht, the deeply feminine Mother’s Night. This is one of the few midwinter celebrations we can confidently trace back to Anglo-Saxon Pagan times, thanks to the writings of the monk Bede in De Temporum Ratione.

Mother’s Night is an evening of devotion, honouring the mother aspect within all women: the nurturer, the protector, the creator, and the wise one. 

On this night, we honour the feminine within ourselves, within others, and within those who came before us.

Ways to honour Mother’s Night within your 12 Days of Yule:

• Leave offerings of milk, honey, and bread in the home or kitchen.

• Write the names of important women in your life (past and present) and place the folded paper beneath a lit white candle on your altar or a safe surface.

• Share stories of the strong, heroic women in your bloodline to keep their spirit alive.

• Light a candle or the hearth fire, speak their names aloud, and raise a toast in their honour.

I will be spending Mother’s Night in circle with women who walk similar paths to mine. When I return home from my feminine healing, rest, and retreat, I’ll weave these practices into my personal ritual. A truly spectacular way to begin my 12 Days of Yule.

☆ Day 2 – Winter Solstice

December 21st

And so, the Wheel continues to spin…

On December 21st, we witness the shortest day and longest night of the year. Though it is early winter here in the UK, we celebrate the moment the sun begins its slow return, a sacred promise of light reborn. 

From this day onward, daylight grows by precious seconds, continuing until its peak once more at the Summer Solstice.

Ways to celebrate the Winter Solstice:

• Create and decorate a Yule log. As a table centrepiece, a fire log (using only herbs and natural materials), or even a baked chocolate Yule log for your Solstice feast.

• Light a bonfire and celebrate with loved ones. Write down what you are releasing or what you are grateful for, then burn the paper to honour transformation and magick.

• Watch the sunset on Solstice night and rise early to greet the sunrise the next morning, alone or in community.

• Meditate on questions close to your heart and ask for answers to arrive through your dreams. Journal what unfolds.

I’ll be celebrating Solstice with friends and family, sitting by the fire in the garden (weather permitting… it is the UK 😂), dancing to Pagan folk music, and feasting on soup and hot dogs (because you know, kids 😂). I’ll end the night in solitude, candlelit journal in hand, reflecting on all I am grateful for.

☆ Day 3 – Ever-Existing Life

December 22nd

Evergreens hold deep symbolism in winter magick. They remind us that life persists, even in stillness. While trees shed their leaves and the land sleeps, evergreens whisper that vitality remains, although quiet, enduring, and patient.

Ways to honour the evergreen spirit:

• Decorate your Yulemas tree. Traditionally, evergreens were brought indoors and adorned with dried citrus and baked treats as offerings to land spirits for protection and abundance. And lights, (always lights lots of lights) to honour the returning sun.

• Take a nature walk. Yes, it’s cold, but staying connected to the land is vital. Forage altar items or study evergreens along the way.

• Honour the Vættir, the Norse land spirits. Place a lantern or candle on your threshold to guide wandering spirits and invite their blessings and protection.

This evening, my family and I will decorate our home and Yule tree using dehydrated citrus and cookies made with love. A white lantern will glow at our threshold, offering light and welcome through the dark.

☆ Day 4 – The Wild Hunt

December 23rd

This is the night of the supernatural. The veil thins, and the space between worlds becomes accessible. While this allows us to feel the presence of loved ones, it also calls for protection.

Create a protective sigil on your doorstep, sprinkle witches’ salt or rosemary outside your door, and nod in gratitude before stepping back inside.

Visiting burial sites, leaving offerings, or placing photos and favourite drinks of ancestors on a safe altar space are also powerful acts of remembrance.

I will honour my grandmother, great aunt, and my partner’s father, visiting where we can, leaving gifts, and later lighting incense and candles at home. A hot brew and cigarette will be offered... my

grandmother’s favourite.

☆ Day 5 – Divination

December 24th

As the veil thins, just as it does at Samhain, Yule is no different. It is another turning point within the seasonal cycles, and so it is no surprise that our two worlds draw closer and our realms entwine. This makes it a powerful time to bring out your divination tools and listen closely to spirit.

Here are a few ways you can work with this energy:

• Spend time in deep meditation. no distractions. Just you, simplicity, and spirit… and maybe a candle or five.

• Work with your favourite tarot or oracle deck. Try a 12-card pull, with one card representing each month of the coming year.

• Cast runes. If you don’t have any, consider making your own by carving or painting them onto small wood slices or stones. Be sure to cleanse, ground, and bless them with intention before use.

• Pendulums offer a quick and easy way to receive answers to specific questions.

• Learn a new method of divination. If you’re unsure where to begin, you can explore our Guide to Divination eBooklet here

• Rest and restore. Ground yourself. Walk in nature, hug a tree, talk to the plants, listen to music, or sink into a ritual bath. Sometimes stillness is where messages speak loudest.

I usually prefer the latter. I require complete peace and solitude when channelling and divining. Choose what feels right for you.

☆ Day 6 – Yulemas

December 25th

Need I say more? The date itself is self-explanatory.

While I do not celebrate the birth of Jesus, I do celebrate the magick of Yulemas. So here it is—the simplicity of Yulemas:

• Early rising. Wake before the household and set the energetic tone for the day. Visualise peace, love, joy, and abundance. Count your blessings.

• Gift giving as ritual. Slow down. Read the tags aloud. Express gratitude. Invite others to do the same and truly absorb the atmosphere.

• Write little notes of love, roll them like scrolls, tie with ribbon, and place them on the tree for family members to read.

• Feast with intention. Savour the tastes, sounds, and smells. Observe your loved ones and smile.

• As evening arrives, wind down. Read, play, watch a film, and embrace the slowness.

This is exactly how my family celebrates. We have stepped away from overconsumption and returned to the spirit of Yulemas, where presence matters more than presents.

☆ Day 7 – Rest & Restore

December 27th

Use this day to rest.

While others rush through sales and try to squeeze multiple family visits into one day, choose to stop. You won’t regret it.

Reflect on the days that have passed. Consider creating a new oath for the year ahead. Be present. Smile. Let gratitude expand your heart in the returning light of Yule and all you have already manifested during the first half of your celebrations.

☆ Day 8 – Winter Gods & Goddesses

December 27th

Skadi, Ullr, and Thor walk with us now.

Skadi, goddess of winter herself.

Ullr, her counterpart and god of winter.

Thor, protector of both earthly and cosmic realms, granting strength to endure the dark and cold months.

Ways to honour them today:

• Connect with the elements of winter... snow, rain, frost, ice. See the beauty and magick they cast across the land.

• Leave offerings to the deities of winter.

• Raise a toast by firelight or candle flame. Extra points if drinking from a Norse or Viking horn, and give thanks.

☆ Day 9 – Community

December 29th

The universe (and the Gods) love those who serve their community. We are all one, and today we are called to act as such.

Ways you can give back:

• Take a gift to a neighbour.

• Donate items or money to charity.

• Take unwanted clothes to a shelter.

• Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

• Check in on the elderly.

Offer from the heart, not the ego. This is not about recognition, it is about service.

☆ Day 10 – The Yule Goat

December 30th

This will be the first year I bring the Yule Goat into my practice. It’s not something I’ve felt drawn to before, but this year, I do.

As always, I research, study, and use my own discernment to determine what feels right. As I won’t have time to create one, I’ll either print or draw an image and place it on my altar.

Traditionally, the Yule Goat is burned on a bonfire and symbolises release, but he is also a symbol of abundance. I will invoke his spirit to help me release what no longer serves me, creating space to welcome the new.

As this is new to me, I encourage you to do your own research and find a way that aligns with your personal practice.

☆ Day 11 – Fate & Destiny

December 31st

Work with the Norns... the three wise women of Norse lore who govern past, present, and future.

Ways to honour them:

• Weave a small braid using three different coloured ribbons to represent each timeline. Wear it or place it on your winter altar until spring.

• Practise visualisation and divination. Meditate and trust the messages that come through.

• Make an oath, or strengthen one already made.

• Burn and cut ties with what no longer serves you.

• Raise a toast to yourself and your future. Believe fully that you are enough—and that great things are possible for you.

As I do not celebrate the new year on December 31st, I have much time in the evening to perform my rituals. Reflection, release, and aligning with my higher self has been an invaluable practice for me on this night. It shifts so much. And every time has been life changing. If it works for me, it can 100% work for you too. 

Final Note

The festive season will always be what you choose to make of it. And these practices are simply offerings. Ways to weave magick into your celebrations as a modern Pagan witch. 

Use what resonates, adapt what calls to you, and leave the rest behind.

There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Yule.

Whatever path you choose, I wish you a deeply blessed Yule.

With love and many blessings,

Jess – La Loba 🐺✨

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