Longest-night vigil
Stay awake through the longest night and welcome the sun.
- Dim the lights and light one candle.
- Sit with friends or alone until midnight, or until dawn if you can.
- When the sun rises, raise a warm drink to it.
Wheel of the Year · solstice or equinox
Yule
The winter solstice, the longest night and the return of the light.
- Northern Hemisphere
- about 21 December
- Southern Hemisphere
- about 21 June
History and names
Yule was a Germanic midwinter feast. The Old English months Ærra Géola and Æftera Géola, which fell around December and January, are recorded by the monk Bede in the eighth century. In Old Norse sources the feast is called jól and involved feasting and ritual toasts.
The winter solstice falls on or near 21 December in the north. Many Yule customs, such as evergreen decorations and the Yule log, are shared with Christmas, and the two have long overlapped.
Also known as
- Jól (Old Norse)
- Geola (Old English)
- Alban Arthan (modern Druidry)
- Midwinter
Customs
People mark Yule by keeping a vigil through the longest night, decorating with evergreens, sharing a feast, exchanging gifts, and lighting candles or a fire to welcome the returning sun. If you burn a log or build a fire, follow local rules and safety advice.
Practices
Evergreen wreath
Bring greenery indoors as a sign of life in winter.
- Gather fallen evergreen branches, never cut live ones from protected land.
- Bind them into a ring with twine.
- Hang it by the door and return it to the garden in January.