Yule: History, symbols and rituals of a midwinter pagan festival

Yule is often presented as “ the pagan Christmas ” or “the Viking festival at the winter solstice”. It’s appealing… but reductive.

In reality, Yule ( jól/geola ) is a major cycle of midwinter festivals in the ancient Germanic world, attested among the Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, and other northern peoples. Immerse yourself in the 12 Days of Yule , a sacred time when magic and the spirit world are at their peak.

This article offers you a vision that is as historically sound as possible, while remaining practical for someone who wants to celebrate Yule today.

1. What is Yule? Simple definition and context

In ancient sources:

In Old English, we find geola or giuli to designate two winter months around the solstice.
In Old Norse, jól refers to a large mid-winter festival, with banquets, sacrifices ( blót ) and community obligations.
In modern Scandinavian languages, jul now means… Christmas.

👉 Yule, originally, is not a “specific day” but a period of winter festivities that marks:

The longest night of the year and the gradual return of light.
The survival of the community during the dark season.
The connection to the gods, ancestors, and spirits.

In modern traditions (Wicca, Neopaganism, Norse Paganism), Yule is the winter solstice sabbat , usually celebrated around December 21.

2. Etymology: what does the word "Yule" mean?

The root of Yule can be found in a reconstructed Proto-Germanic term ( jehwlą ), linked to a winter festive cycle.

Attested forms:

Old English: geola / giuli
Old Norse: jól
Modern Scandinavian: July

Some modern authors link Yule to the idea of a "wheel" (a comparison often made with the Swedish word hjul , meaning "wheel"), an image of the turning wheel of the year. This linguistic connection is not proven, but symbolically it fits perfectly with the idea of a seasonal pivot.

Note: In Norse mythology, Odin is known by the nickname Jólnir, “he of Yule” , which underlines the importance of this festival in his cult.

3. How do we know that Yule existed? Historical sources

3.1. Bede and the Anglo-Saxon calendar

One of the most important sources is the monk Bede the Venerable (8th century).

In his work De Temporum Ratione (The Allocation of Time), he describes the ancient Anglo-Saxon calendar and explains that:

The year began on the night of the winter solstice.
The two months surrounding the solstice had the same name: giuli / geola , from which our “Yule” comes.

It emerges that for Anglo-Saxons, Yule is not simply a day of celebration, but a two-month period structured around the turning of the sun.

3.2. Scandinavian sagas and chronicles

On the Scandinavian side, the main sources are medieval texts such as:

The Saga of Hákon the Good (Hákonar saga góða) , integrated into the Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson (13th century).
Other Norwegian/medieval sagas and laws.

These texts describe jól as:

A midwinter festival lasting three nights or more.
A period marked by banquets, sacrifices, and ritual beer.

3.3. Modern research (Nordberg & co.)

Contemporary historians, such as Andreas Nordberg, have done a lot of work on Yule . Based on the sources, Nordberg proposes that the pre-Christian Yule was fixed not on the solstice itself, but on a specific full moon after the solstice, according to a lunar count.

👉 Basically: historically, Yule = lunar midwinter, not "December 21 at 6:07 PM".

4. Date and Duration of Yule: Solstice, Midwinter, and the 12 Nights

4.1. From the solstice to the lunar period

Among the Anglo-Saxons, Bede describes two months of geola surrounding the solstice.
In Norwegian sagas, Yule appears as a mid-winter festival, sometimes described as lasting three nights.
For modern research, pre-Christian calculations used lunar phases and agrarian cycles.

4.2. Modern practice

Modern pagans (Wicca, neo-paganism) have realigned Yule with the winter solstice because it is simple, astronomical, and symbolically powerful.
“Heathen” reconstructionists may choose to follow a lunar date inspired by Nordberg’s work.

4.3. The Twelve Sacred Nights (Jólanóttir) and the Time Between Worlds

For many modern Nordic pagans (Ásatrú/Heathenry), Yule is not just one day, but a period of 12 days or nights (Jólanóttir) .

This cycle is often fixed around Christmas and New Year's. It was perceived as a time outside of time , where the veil between worlds is thin:

Favorable for omens: Dreams and events carried messages for the coming year.
The Wild Hunt: A time when the spirits of the dead (and Odin/Frigg ) traveled. It was important to stay home, clean, and avoid certain manual labor.

5. ✨ The Wonderful Themes of Yule: Light, Death, and Odin's Power

5.1. The Reversal of Light

Yule is first and foremost the celebration of the time when:

The night reaches its maximum, then the light finally begins to regain ground .

Symbols of light:

Fires, torches, candles.
Yule log: a large log that is burned on Yule night or for several days, symbolizing the return of the light.

5.2. The Wheel of the Year and the Duel of Kings

The theme of the wheel is central to many contemporary practices: Yule is the pivot where the wheel of the year turns towards the light .

In Wicca and Neopaganism:

This is the pivot where the transition takes place between the Holly King (king of the dark half of the year) and the Oak King (king of the light half).
The Holly King is defeated by the Oak King at the winter solstice, symbolically ensuring the victory of light (the sun) over darkness.

5.3. Odin, the Wild Hunt, and the spirits of winter

In Germanic and Nordic folklore, the heart of winter is associated with:

At the Wild Hunt: procession of spirits, of the dead, led by a deity (often Odin under the name of Jólnir).
To the ancestors and the spirits of the house ( landvættir ).

Certain folkloric traits have been reinvested in the figure of Santa Claus. It is thought that the link comes from the image of Odin, an old bearded man, travelling across the night sky at the head of the Wild Hunt, an idea that may have influenced the folklore of Santa Claus.

5.4. Mōdraniht / “Mothers' Night”

Bede also mentions a festival called Mōdraniht (“Night of the Mothers”) , celebrated by the Anglo-Saxons on the night of the solstice, with sacrifices in honor of “Mothers” or “mother-gods”.

This festival highlights an important aspect of Yule: the honoring of family lineages, female ancestors, and the forces of fertility and protection. Many modern pagans incorporate this dimension into their Yule rituals.

6. 🍻 Banquets, Sacrifices (Blót): Ancient Nordic Festivals

6.1. Banquets, beer and “drinking Yule”

The sagas speak of “drekka jól”, “drinking Yule” :

Beer brewing is mandatory for the party.
Banquets lasting several days.
Solemn oaths pronounced on the drinking horn ( symbel ).

In medieval Norway, some laws even mandated brewing a minimum amount of beer for Yule, emphasizing that Yule was a community duty linked to social order.

6.2. Sacrifices (blót) and offerings

Yule is a time of blót , that is, of offerings and sacrifices:

Animal sacrifices, the meat of which was consumed during the banquet.
Offerings of beer, mead, food, or objects.
Prayers / toasts for the fertility of the fields, the protection and health of the community.

7. 🔄 Yule vs. Christmas: The Great Mix-Up (Historical and Symbolic)

7.1. Hákon the Good: a key moment

The Saga of Hákon the Good tells how this Norwegian king, converted to Christianity, moved the celebration of Yule to coincide with Christian Christmas .

The idea was political: to gradually merge jól ( pagan ) and the Christmas Mass (Christian).

Christmas absorbs Yule, while retaining elements of folklore clearly inherited from pagan traditions.

7.2. Beware of shortcuts

Christmas does not come solely from the Roman Saturnalia (festival of Saturn).
Christmas is not just Yule rebranded.

The reality is more nuanced: Christmas is a Christian synthesis on a foundation of varied pagan winter traditions (Roman, Germanic, local), of which Yule is the major influence in the North .

8. Modern Nordic traditions stemming from Yule (Jul, Julbock, etc.)

In Scandinavian countries, the word jul still refers to Christmas, but some current traditions retain pagan traces:

8.1. The Julbock / Yule Goat

The Yule goat (Julbock) is a powerful symbol in Scandinavia:

Linked to an ancient symbolism of the goat, possibly associated with Thor and fertility spirits.
It was made from the last sheaf of grain of the harvest, considered to possess magical power.
Today, it is often a straw decoration with red ribbons (like the famous Gävle goat in Sweden).

8.2. Julebukking and other customs

Traditions such as Julebukking exist: masked groups go from house to house, singing, performing pranks, and receiving food or drinks. These practices evoke remnants of winter processions.

9. Yule in Wicca and Neopaganism

9.1. Yule in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year

In Wicca and neo-pagan traditions, Yule is:

One of the 8 Sabbaths of the Wheel of the Year.
Placed at the winter solstice (around December 21st).
Interpreted as the birth or rebirth of the Sun God, the Goddess giving birth to the light (see the symbolism of the Oak King/Holly King).

Typical rituals: Lighting of the consecrated Yule log, meditations on rebirth, the return of hope.

9.2. Norse Paganism (Ásatrú/Heathenry)

In reconstructed Nordic paganism:

Yule is often seen as a cycle of several days (often the 12 nights).
We practice symbel (ritual toasts), blót (offerings) and community vigils.
We honor Odin, the gods, the ancestors and the spirits of the place ( landvættir ).

10. 🕯️ Celebrating Yule Today: Simple Rituals and Modern Practices

Here is a simple, realistic, adaptable base to celebrate the return of the light.

10.1. Create a Yule altar (even a minimalist one)

Choose a stable spot: shelf, small table.

Add:

1 to 3 candles (white, red, gold) for light.
Branches of fir, pine, holly or ivy (symbols of eternity).
Some runes engraved/drawn (Algiz for protection, Sowilo for the sun).
Pine cones (immortality) or bells (to ward off negative spirits).

Intention: to make this space a point of light and memory throughout the dark period.

10.2. The Modern Yule Log

No need for a huge stump. Take a real log (even a small one) or a large pillar candle.

Decorate it with:

Natural string, engraved runes.
Leaves, berries, elements of the forest.

Ritual:

Consecrate it with a few simple words (e.g., “May this light accompany my family and protect our home during the winter.”).
Light it on the evening of the solstice and let it burn consciously for a good while.

10.3. A Yule meal: simple but symbolic

The idea: a hot, rich, shared meal (substantial dish, spiced cakes like cinnamon, hot drink or mead/beer).

Simple ritual during meals:

Before eating, everyone expresses their gratitude for the past year.
Then a wish or intention for the coming year.
A few drops of the drink can be poured as an offering (to the earth, outside).

10.4. Honoring Ancestors and “Mothers”

Echoing Mōdraniht:

Prepare a symbolic plate (a little of each dish) dedicated to the ancestors.
Place it on the altar or near a window.
Light a candle while saying a few words of thanks.

You can leave the food outside the next day, for the sake of the soil and the animals.

10.5. Year-End Review & Rune Readings

Yule is an ideal time for introspective work:

Summary: Take a notebook and write:

What I let die / leave my year.
What I keep / strengthen.
What I call forth / bring forth within me.

Rune/Tarot Reading: Perform a simple reading (1 or 3 runes) with a question such as:

“What do I need to get through this winter?”
“What energy should I invite into my life for this new cycle?”

The most important thing is not “historical purity”, but:

The consistency between what you do, the season, and what you experience internally.

11. Yule FAQ (useful for SEO & readers in a hurry)

Are Yule and Christmas the same holiday?

No, not originally. Yule was a Germanic pagan festival based on lunar and agricultural cycles. Christmas is the Christian celebration of the Nativity. However, in the North, the two gradually merged, blending symbols and dates.

Is Yule necessarily celebrated on December 21st?

In most modern traditions (Wicca, Neopaganism), yes, Yule is set at the winter solstice (December 21 or 22). Historically, things are less clear and probably lunar, sometimes falling after the solstice. Norse pagans may also celebrate the period of the Twelve Sacred Nights (Jólanóttir) .

Is Yule specifically “Viking”?

Not only that. The Vikings (Scandinavians of the Viking Age) celebrated jól , but Yule is above all a Germanic festival shared by several peoples (Anglo-Saxons, Goths, Scandinavians…).

How can I celebrate Yule if I'm a beginner?

Start simple:

Light a candle at the solstice.
Saying thank you for 3 things from the past year.
Formulate 3 intentions for the upcoming cycle.
Eat a warm and comforting meal.

12. Main Sources

Here are the sources mentioned:

Bede the Venerable, De Temporum Ratione (8th century) – Description of the Anglo-Saxon calendar and the months of Giuli / Geola.
Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla (13th century), in particular Hákonar saga góða – Story of Hákon the Good and the alignment of Yule with Christmas.
Andreas Nordberg, Jul, distinguishing och förkyrklig tideräkning . (2006) – Reference study on the lunar dating of Yule.
Specialized articles on the Twelve Sacred Nights (Jólanóttir) and the Wild Hunt.
Neo-Pagan and Wiccan Resources – Texts describing the Wheel of the Year and the place of Yule as the winter solstice sabbat.

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