The 12 Nights Ritual: A Prelude to the New Year

An ancient tradition reimagined for today—use the 12 Nights Ritual to set meaningful intentions for the new year.

If you're anything like me, come late December I used to find myself scrambling to create my New Year’s resolutions. After the holiday buzz, my energy would finally settle, slow down, and turn inward—but that also meant leaving things like personal goal setting and vision boards to the very last minute.

What I’ve learned over time, though, is that real intention-setting for the new year begins long before the New Year's Eve ball drops.

In this spirit, I’m sharing a practice that traditionally happens between Christmas and Epiphany (often called Twelfthtide or the Rauhnächte), during which you create 13 wishes for yourself for the coming year.

The only difference? I invite you to begin early—in October or November. Because your energy, mindset, and presence during these quieter months can shape how you welcome the year ahead.

What Are the 12 Magical Nights?

Long before modern calendars, many Celtic and Germanic traditions followed a lunar year of about 354 days (12 full moons) and a solar year of 365 days. The gap of roughly eleven days between them was viewed as a time outside of time—when the veil between the spiritual and earthly planes thinned, making it easier to connect with intuition and dreams.

And so, the twelve nights between December 25 and January 6 have long been seen as a period when the old and new come together—a kind of in-between space.

This is also when Twelfthtide, or the Rauhnächte, takes place. During this ritual, people write down thirteen wishes or desires—one for each night—each representing a month of the coming year. Then every night, one wish is offered to God (Source, the Universe, etc.) by burning, burying, or simply releasing it with gratitude. On the final night, the thirteenth wish is kept, as it was yours to bring to life in the year ahead through conscious action and faith.

Bringing the 12 Nights to Life

While the twelve nights traditionally begin in late December, I encourage you to start now.

Think of October and November as your dreaming months—a prelude to the ritual itself.

By doing so, you'll:

• Give yourself the space to cultivate awareness instead of urgency.

• Move from “I should” to “I feel called to.”

• Set intentions that feel aligned and grounded.

The framework below honors the tradition while weaving in mindfulness and action — so you don’t just wish for your year ahead, you shape it.

Phase	Timing	Focus
Phase 1 — Reflection & Gathering	October – Mid-November	Begin journaling and exploring what you truly want to create, heal, or embody in the coming year.
Phase 2 — Clarifying & Preparing	Late November – Mid-December	Refine your ideas into 13 meaningful intentions — each one something you will both offer and own. Write each on a slip of paper and place them somewhere sacred.
Phase 3 — The 12 Nights Ritual	December 25 – January 5 (or your chosen 12 nights)	Each night, light a candle and open one intention, selecting it at random. Reflect, visualize it coming to life, and burn, bury or release it with gratitude to God. Then, write one small step you can personally take toward it in the new year.
Phase 4 — Integration & Embodiment	January 6 onward	The 13th wish (the one not opened during the ritual above) becomes your guiding intention for the new year. This is the one you actively bring to life through consistent action, reflection, and trust.

Suggestions & Tips

When starting a new ritual, it’s important to remember that it’s meant to support you, not stress you. Here are a few ways to keep the experience gentle, nourishing, and grounding.

• Keep it simple. Five quiet minutes is enough — it’s your presence, not performance, that matters.

• Stay curious. While active journaling is key, don't dismiss your dreams or synchronicities. They are typically seen as messages from between worlds, so jot them down.

• Let go of perfection. Some nights your writing may feel raw, fragmented, even unsatisfying—and that’s okay. It’s all part of the process.

• Gentle accountability. If you like, invite a friend or small circle to share the journey (not to compare, but to witness).

• Pair reflection with action. For each wish, ask: “What’s one thing I can do to help bring this forward?”

• Breath and movement. Add a short meditation or breathwork to clear your energy before your nightly ritual on the 12 nights.

• Honor both surrender and ownership. Offer your wishes to God (the Divine, Source, etc.), but remember — the universe moves through you.

• Trust your timing. If your 12 nights begin earlier or later, that’s okay. The magic is in intention, not the date.

The time between Christmas and Epiphany is rich for birthing dreams into reality. This year, give yourself the gift of time by beginning the process early so that your wishes have space to shift, settle and ultimately unveil what your soul wants most in the coming year.

So light a candle, open your journal, and ask: What do I truly wish to create — and what am I willing to do to meet that wish halfway?