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Guide
Yule: History, Traditions and Ways to Celebrate
Yule falls on the winter solstice, around 21 December. The longest night, when the sun is 'reborn' and days begin to lengthen. This guide covers where Yule comes from, its folklore, simple ways to celebrate at home or outdoors in the UK, and what to put on your altar.
History and meaning
The longest night, when the sun is 'reborn' and days begin to lengthen. Evergreens, the Yule log and wassailing all come from midwinter traditions across Britain and northern Europe. At Newgrange in Ireland the solstice sunrise lights the inner chamber. As with every sabbat, modern practice blends genuine old custom with 20th-century revival, and both are part of a living tradition.
Customs in Britain and Ireland
Customs around Yule vary by region, family and path. Look for local fairs, church festivals and folk customs near you; our town guides list heritage sites and seasonal events across the UK. Many old customs were practical, marking the farming year, the movement of animals or the turn of the light, and their meanings grew around that work.
Ways to celebrate
At home
Keep vigil and greet the solstice sunrise, burn a Yule log or a large candle, decorate with holly, ivy and pine, and give handmade gifts.
Outdoors
Walk somewhere that shows the season, such as a hill at sunrise, a wood or a stone circle. Leave nothing behind but footprints.
With others
Share food, tell stories or join an open celebration. Many Druid and pagan groups hold public rites.
Journaling
Write what this season means to you, what you want to release and what you hope to grow before Imbolc.
Altar ideas and colours
Traditional altar items include red, green and gold candles, pine or frankincense incense, garnet, clear quartz. Add what you find outside: leaves, flowers, seeds or stones. Keep candles on a heat-proof plate, away from anything that could catch, and never leave them alone.
Folklore
The Holly King and the Oak King, a modern pagan story, battle at the solstices. Older British lore keeps Christmas ghosts, the Mari Lwyd hobby horse of South Wales, and the belief that animals kneel or speak at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Food and drink
Mince pies, wassail (hot spiced ale or cider), Yule log cake, roasted chestnuts and clementines. Wassailing apple orchards, usually on Twelfth Night, is still kept up in Somerset, Herefordshire and elsewhere.
Nature at this time
Robins sing through winter, holly berries are at their brightest and the sun stands lowest at noon. Bring evergreens indoors: holly, ivy, pine and, by custom, mistletoe hung high.
The sky at Yule
On 21 December 2026: In London the sun rises at about 08:03 and sets at about 15:53. In Cardiff the sun rises at about 08:16 and sets at about 16:06. In Edinburgh the sun rises at about 08:42 and sets at about 15:39. In Belfast the sun rises at about 08:44 and sets at about 15:59. The nearest full moon is on 24 December 2026. Times are calculated and approximate, in UK clock time.
Reflection prompts
Looking back
What has this last season given you, and what are you ready to let go?
Looking forward
What would you like to have grown by Imbolc?
Gratitude
Name three things from the natural world you noticed this week.
Where it sits on the Wheel
Yule comes after Samhain and before Imbolc. The Wheel of the Year guide covers all eight festivals. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days.
Yule dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028
Solstice and equinox times are calculated with astronomy-engine for UK clock time. The cross-quarter festivals are kept on their fixed calendar dates by most people, though some prefer the astronomical midpoint, a few days later.
| Year | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday 21 December 2026 | Exact moment 20:50 GMT (calculated) |
| 2027 | Wednesday 22 December 2027 | Exact moment 02:42 GMT (calculated) |
| 2028 | Thursday 21 December 2028 | Exact moment 08:20 GMT (calculated) |
Yule and Christmas together
Many Christmas customs in Britain have older winter roots: evergreen boughs, holly and ivy, the Yule log, wassailing and mistletoe. If your household celebrates Christmas, it is easy to fold a quiet solstice moment into the season, such as lighting a candle on the longest night or walking out to watch the sunrise the next morning.
Ideas for families
- Make a Yule log centrepiece from a branch, candles and greenery (never leave lit candles unattended).
- String dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks as decorations.
- Watch the sunset on 21 December and note the time; then watch it creep later through January.
- Leave out seeds and fat balls for garden birds in the coldest weeks.
After Yule
Old custom kept greenery up until Twelfth Night or Candlemas (2 February), and some kept a piece of the Yule log to light next year's fire. A good modern version is to save a small sprig of evergreen or a candle stub and use it at Imbolc.
Sunrise and sunset across the UK on the winter solstice, 21 December 2026
Calculated with astronomy-engine for each city, in UK clock time. Day length grows the further north you go in summer and shrinks in winter.
| City | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 08:04 | 15:53 | 7h 50m |
| Cardiff | 08:16 | 16:06 | 7h 50m |
| Birmingham | 08:16 | 15:55 | 7h 39m |
| Manchester | 08:23 | 15:51 | 7h 28m |
| Belfast | 08:44 | 15:59 | 7h 15m |
| Edinburgh | 08:42 | 15:40 | 6h 58m |
| Inverness | 08:57 | 15:33 | 6h 36m |
The moon on the day
- Winter solstice 2026: waxing gibbous, 93% lit.
- Winter solstice 2027: waning crescent, 31% lit.
Crystals, herbs and colours for Yule
- Garnet: most often deep wine red; also orange, green and purple
- Ruby: red, from pinkish to deep 'pigeon's blood'
- Clear quartz: clarity and amplifying intention; the 'master' stone
- Bloodstone: deep green with red flecks
- Citrine: sunshine, abundance and optimism, the 'merchant's stone'
- Herbs and scents: frankincense, cinnamon, cedar and pine.
- Colours: red, green, gold and white.
Seasonal pieces from the shop
Real pieces in stock today, with current prices. Each product page lists size, materials and what is included.
- HEM Hexagonal Incense - Precious Cinnamon: £1.00.
- HEM Hexagonal Incense - Frankincense: £0.92.
- Manifest Magic Candles (pack of 12) - Violet - Crown Chakra: £1.72.
- Manifest Magic Candles (pack of 12) - Indigo - Third Eye Chakra: £1.72.
- Hop Hare Crystal Magic Flower Candle - The Moon: £11.96.
- Magic Spell Candle - Protection: £11.20.
- Magic Spell Candle - Prosperity: £11.20.
- Ancient Witch Ritual Candles - Locked Desires: £14.40.
Words worth knowing
- Wheel of the Year: the modern pagan cycle of eight seasonal festivals, popularised in Britain in the 1950s and 60s.
- Sabbat: one of those eight festivals.
- Quarter day: a solstice or equinox, fixed by the sun.
- Cross-quarter day: a festival roughly halfway between a solstice and an equinox: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
- Esbat: a full moon gathering or ritual, as opposed to a sabbat.
- Altar: a surface set aside for seasonal and ritual objects.
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Questions answered
When is Yule?
The winter solstice, around 21 December.
How is Yule celebrated?
Keep vigil and greet the solstice sunrise, burn a Yule log or a large candle, decorate with holly, ivy and pine, and give handmade gifts.
What colours are used for Yule?
Common choices include red.
Do I need special tools for Yule?
No. A candle, something seasonal and a quiet moment are enough.
When should I order for Yule?
Allow about five working days before the date. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days.
Is Yule a pagan festival?
Yule is one of the eight festivals of the modern pagan Wheel of the Year, marking the return of the sun after the longest night. Some of its customs are old folk traditions in Britain and Ireland; the name and the eight-festival cycle in its current form date from the 20th century.
How can I celebrate Yule on my own?
Light a candle, go for a walk to notice the season, cook something seasonal and write a few lines about what Yule means to you this year. Solitary celebration is completely normal in modern paganism.
What food is eaten at Yule?
Traditional and seasonal choices include mulled drinks, roasted chestnuts, oranges, spiced cake and a Yule log.
Can children join in with Yule?
Yes. Crafts, seasonal walks, baking and decorating are all easy ways to include children. Keep candles and fires supervised.
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