Festivals, Customs, and Rituals

The period from the night of December 24 to 25,
midnight, through the night of January 5 to 6, midnight, is a magical time. A time of transition—between the years.

But it is also a supernatural time, one that makes us very receptive to messages from another world. It is said that these magical nights lie outside of space and time, for the gates to the spiritual world open, and they can be crossed more easily than at other times.
Accordingly, they are significant for us and the coming year. For:
These 12 nights, known as the “Raunächte”, invite us to reflect and manifest.

Between Christmas and New Year's
The term "between the years" stems from the difference between the lunar and solar calendars:

It takes the Moon 29 1/2 days to complete one cycle from new moon to new moon. Twelve months therefore total 345 days—a lunar year.
However, it takes the Sun 365 days to return to the same position in the sky—a solar year.

The Raunächte are needed to bring the lunar and solar calendars back into harmony. With their 11 days and 12 nights, they fill the gap between the lunar and solar years—the time “between the years.”
These days are subject to neither the laws of the sun nor those of the moon and have therefore been regarded as “gifted days” since time immemorial.

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Time Period
The Raunächte begin at midnight on the night of December 24–25 and end at 11:59 p.m. on the night of January 5–6.
According to other traditions, the Raunächte begin as early as the day of the winter solstice, that is, on December 21.

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Raunacht Rituals
The Raunächte are an excellent time for introspection, meditation, letting go, and setting intentions for the new year.

Here are a few rituals:

- Tidy up and clean—but don’t declutter or get rid of things (because, according to tradition, that’s supposed to bring bad luck)
- Smudge your home – recommended options include sage, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, camphor, and angelica
- Pay off debts and return borrowed items
- Let go of baggage, resolve outstanding issues
- Reflect: What am I grateful for from the past year?
- Meditation and inner reflection
- Set intentions for the new year
- Pay attention to dreams or keep a dream journal

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Each Raunacht is associated with a month of the following year and is regarded as an omen. Those who can interpret the signs of each night can gain important insights for the new year.

• 1. RAUNACHT - DECEMBER 25
  
  The first Raunacht begins at midnight on the night of December 24–25. It represents the month of January.
• TOPIC: Lovingly bringing closure to the past and letting go. And slowly and gently settling into the new year.
• QUESTIONS: What seeds do I want to plant? What do I want to achieve and make a reality in the new year? What do I want to let go of?
• RITUAL: Cleansing & Smudging: Take a sea salt bath and smudge the rooms with sage. Meditate. Write down past burdens and unnecessary things, then burn them in a bowl.

2nd RAUNACHT – DECEMBER 26

The second Raunacht is energetically associated with the month of February. We are slowly approaching spring. The days are getting longer again.
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THEME: Connecting to the inner light and the inner voice
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QUESTIONS: What will accompany me in the new year (animals, energies, powers, trees, gemstones)? What questions are burning within me? What still needs to be released? What does it mean for me to be at peace with myself? What helps me remember my inner light? What do I need to let go of in order to be completely at peace with myself?
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RITUAL: Retreat into silence at a meditation spot or in nature.

• 3. RAUNACHT – DECEMBER 27,
  
  The third Raunacht is associated with the month of March. The wonders of nature begin to unfold; the first buds and plants sprout, and nature awakens from its winter slumber.
• TOPIC: A New Beginning . Opening Your Heart
• QUESTIONS: What is closest to my heart? What makes my heart glow? What do I love doing most? What brings me joy? What desires lie deep within my heart? What fulfills me?
  
• RITUAL: Heart Meditation : Breathe light into your heart, imagining it opening like a rose as love flows in.

4. RAUNACHT - DECEMBER 28

The fourth Raunacht corresponds to the month of April. It is a month of great change and fluctuation, often unpredictable. The constant shifts in the weather often affect our mood and require a great deal of composure. And just as nature is in a state of flux, so too is everything around us—and we need this change so that something new can emerge. The old must go to make room for the new.
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THEME: Dissolution . Transformation. New beginning. A fresh start.
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QUESTIONS: What helps me let go of old things? How can I turn the negative into the positive? Which old habits do I want to change? Who or what gives me energy? Who or what drains my energy? When am I brave, and when does my courage fail me?
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RITUALS: Write down everything negative and rephrase it into something positive on a separate piece of paper. Then burn the piece of paper with the negative text.
Cleansing meditation: Visualize a violet flame that burns away all that is bad.

• 5. RAUNACHT – DECEMBER 29,
  
  The fifth Raunacht represents the month of May. Spring is in full bloom, and the abundance of life is palpable. It is a time of joy and happiness that we experience not only on our own, but together with others.
• TOPIC: Friendship & Self-Love
• QUESTIONS: Who are my friends? Who has a positive influence on me? Who do I enjoy spending time with? Am I my own best friend? How can I say “yes” to myself? What do I need to forgive myself and to love myself?
• RITUALS: Spend the day with someone you love. Burn white sage, styrax, or rose incense.
  Yin yoga exercises focused on self-love.

6. RAUNACHT - DECEMBER 30

We have now reached the middle of the Raunächte and the middle of the year: The sixth Raunacht corresponds to the month of June, when spring gives way to summer. The days are getting longer and longer until the sun reaches its highest point on June 21: Midsummer Night or the summer solstice. The longest day and the shortest night of the year—the counterpart to the winter solstice.

Despite all the joy and cheer, the summer solstice also reminds us of transience, for it marks the transition from light to darkness. We are embedded in the cycle of time: Where there is light, there is also shadow. Everything is present within everything else. Yin and Yang.
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THEME: Purification. Letting go. Balance. Reflection.
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QUESTIONS: What can I let go of? What can I free myself from? What have I not yet forgiven? What still needs closure?
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RITUAL: Tidying up and burning incense. Write down what you don’t want to carry into the new year. Then burn that piece of paper. Reach out to family.

• 7. RAUNACHT – DECEMBER 31,
  
  Today is New Year’s Eve. This day is all about preparing for the new year. Today is a day of festivities—just like the month of July, to which this Raunacht is associated, which is the month of festivals and celebrations.
• TOPIC: Openness to the New. Inner Child. Inner Voice. Soul. Home. Emotions. Femininity.
• QUESTIONS: What is my vision for the new year? What do I want to achieve in the new year? What do I wish for? What do I want to nurture? What do I want to let go of once and for all? Can I—or do I want to—express my feelings? Do I listen to my inner voice? Do I know my needs? Do I take good care of myself?
• RITUAL: Take a bath and wash away everything old. Purify your home with incense or sage. Consult an oracle, draw cards, and make New Year’s resolutions. Wear red underwear—for happy moments of love in the new year.

8th RAUNACHT - JANUARY 1

Happy New Year! Today marks the beginning of the new year. People wish each other good luck and give gifts symbolizing good fortune. The eighth Raunacht is associated with the month of August—the month of joy, abundance, strength, and energy, but also of leisure. It is the height of summer; the sun is shining and filling us with strength and energy.
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THEME: New Beginnings . Abundance. Self-Expression. Self-Actualization
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QUESTIONS: How do I bless the new year? To whom can I wish happiness? What are my good wishes? Do I believe in myself? Do I trust myself? Have I realized my full potential?
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RITUAL: Bless the new year. Send happiness and blessings to others. Giving away symbols of good luck. Meeting up with friends. Getting out into nature.

• 9th RAUNACHT – JANUARY 2,
  
  Today is January 2. The energy of the Raunächte has shifted: up until New Year’s Eve, the energy was more introspective and quiet. But a change has slowly taken place: the wheels are now gradually beginning to turn forward again. Nevertheless, it is not yet time to put all our good intentions into action, because energetically speaking, we are still in the middle of winter. It is still a time to pause, gather creative ideas, and connect with our inner voice.
  For many, everyday life has already begun again today. It’s time to get organized, reorganize, and restructure—and the energy of this Raunacht helps with that. The ninth Raunacht is associated with the month of September. Late summer. A transitional period between summer and fall. Summer has passed, but it’s not quite gone yet. Fall is just around the corner, but it’s not quite here yet. It’s a time to pause and linger. Patience is called for.
  
• TOPIC: Order. Renewal. Patience. Reorientation. Structure
• QUESTIONS: What blessing do I want to give? To whom can I send light and blessings? What do I want to reap in the new year? What do I want to achieve in the new year? What are my goals? What do I need to be healthy? How can I connect with my inner center? Do I dare to trust my gut feeling? What do I need to feel good?
• RITUAL: Bless the new year and light a candle. Do everything that strengthens your center (e.g., yoga, eating well, etc.). Yoga asanas for the new moon.

10th RAUNACHT - JANUARY 3

The tenth Raunacht is associated with October. October is a time of slowly saying goodbye, but also of abundance and ripeness. The Raunächte, too, are slowly drawing to a close. Today is another opportunity to meditate on visions.
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TOPIC: Knowledge. Vision. Maturity. Wisdom. Balance. Equilibrium. Harmony
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QUESTIONS: How do I use my life energy and my thoughts? What is my vision for the new year? Which situation should change and improve? Are my body and soul in balance? Am I finding balance in my life? Am I at peace with myself?
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RITUAL: Meditation on the new vision. Burning incense.

• 11TH RAUNACHT – JANUARY 4,
  
  With the eleventh Raunacht, we have now arrived in the month of November. November, more than any other month, symbolizes saying goodbye, letting go, and death.
  
  At the same time, however, this process of saying goodbye also holds within it a spark of new beginnings. For only when we can let go completely can we open ourselves up to the new.
• TOPIC: Transformation. Change. Death. Farewell. Letting Go
  
• QUESTIONS: What is the meaning of my life? Why am I here? What do I want to bring into the world? What is definitively over and needs to be let go of now? What is important to me in my life?
• RITUAL: Meditation on one's purpose in life, one's own meaning in life.

12TH RAUNACHT – JANUARY 5

Energetically, the twelfth Raunacht is associated with the month of December, the darkest month of the year. At the same time, however, it is also the month in which light is reborn and begins a new cycle with the winter solstice.
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THEME: New Beginnings . Growth. Expansion. Wisdom.
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QUESTIONS: What hasn’t been going well over the past 12 nights? What is still weighing on me? What still needs to be cleansed? Am I living up to my potential? Does my life have meaning? Am I a guiding light for others?
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RITUAL: Write downeverything negative and rephrase it into something positive on a separate piece of paper. Burn the piece of paper with the negative text.
Cleansing meditation: Visualize a violet flame that burns away all that is negative. Burn incense.