What are the Rauhnächte?
The "holy nights" between the years are described as the Twelve Nights - a transitional period in which the old of the past year passes and the new has not yet begun. In many cultures, it is believed that during these twelve - sometimes thirteen - nights, the veil "between the worlds," i.e. the visible and invisible world, is particularly thin. Consciousness is more open, and the boundary between what we can perceive and what lies beyond begins to blur. This opens the space for clearer insights and inspirations.
Traditionally, this time invites us to look deeper within and to turn to processes of purification and transformation with openness and curiosity. People often use the Rauhnächte to burn incense, pay special attention to their dreams and consciously prepare for the coming year. Each day of the Rauhnächte is symbolic of a month of the new year. This is intended to help with reorientation and invite everything that is desired in the new year.
When do the Rauhnächte begin?
Today, the traditional Rauhnächte (the twelve nights) and their associated rituals are usually practiced between Christmas Eve and Epiphany – meaning they begin on the night of December 24th to 25th (on December 25th at 0 a.m.). Some traditions start as early as December 21st, at the winter solstice – the turning point of the light. From then on, the sun slowly returns – a symbol of new beginnings and inner renewal.
One of the Twelve Nights lasts either from midnight to 11:59 PM or from dusk to dusk. So, if you decide to start the first of the Twelve Nights on December 25th at 0:00, it ends on the same day at 11:59 PM.
When do the Rauhnächte end?
Most people celebrate the twelve nights of Christmas. If you start on the night of December 24th to 25th, they end on the night of January 5th to 6th – the day of the Epiphany. The last night represents the end of the transition period. Many people use this last day for a special ritual: they burn their wishes, smudge their homes, or set intentions for the coming year.
What rituals and instructions are there for the Rauhnächte?
Themes of the Rauhnächte
Each of the twelve nights of Christmas (Rauhnacht) relates to a month of the coming year. This creates a symbolic connection between the rituals and practices performed during these nights and the direction of the new year.
Themes and months of the Rauhnächte 2025/2026:
Rauhnacht: December 24 to 25
Month: January
Theme: Looking back on the past year, letting go of the old
Rauhnacht: December 25 to 26
Month: February
Theme: Come to rest, find inner peace
Rauhnacht: December 26 to 27
Month: March
Theme: Opening your heart to yourself and others
Rauhnacht: December 27 to 28
Month: April
Theme: Trust in your own intuition and inner wisdom
Rauhnacht: December 28 to 29
Month: May
Theme: Self-care and enjoyment
Rauhnacht: December 29 to 30
Month: June
Theme: Friendships and relationships, forgiveness and healing in relationships
Rauhnacht: December 30 to 31
Month: July
Topic: Perceiving and accepting your own feelings
Rauhnacht: January 31 to 1
Month: August
Theme: Setting visions and goals for the new year
Rauhnacht: 1 to 2 January
Month: September
Theme: Sorting and prioritizing
Rauhnacht: January 2 to 3
Month: October
Theme: Developing mindfulness for the present moment
Rauhnacht: January 3 to 4
Month: November
Theme: Gratitude for what is
Rauhnacht: 4 to 5 January
Month: December
Topic: Recognizing and integrating the insights and meaning of the Rauhnächte
Rituals for the Rough Nights
A ritual during the Twelve Nights is a consciously set moment. In books or online, you will find countless instructions and exercises related to the Twelve Nights. Some are quite simple, others involve more effort. To avoid getting lost in the large selection, you should especially ask yourself which ritual feels right for you. The crucial point is that you feel comfortable with it and what inner attitude you adopt.
Typical Rauhnächte rituals are:
- Smudging: Smudging can help to release old energies from rooms, body and mind and to open up to new things.
- Sound rituals: Singing Bowls can support the time of silence and retreat - they help with centering and open consciousness.
- Journaling: Notes and prompts help to better understand the themes of the past year and find more clarity.
- Dream journal: Dreams can provide deep insights into current life issues and future decisions.
- Wishes & Gratitude: A popular ritual is to write down 13 wishes and burn them one after the other.
A gentle introduction to the Twelve Nights rituals can be achieved with incense and a short meditation. If you accompany your ritual with sound, an atmosphere of mindfulness and depth is created even more easily.
Why do we burn incense during the Holy Nights?
The incensing of rooms, or even one's own body and mind, is a very old ritual that is still practiced today in various traditions and for different occasions. Mostly, woods, herbs, resins, or even incense papers are used for incensing, which are also said to have different effects. The rising smoke symbolically represents purification and transformation. During the Twelve Nights, incensing is often used to clear rooms or to cleanse one's own inner field – it is an invitation to let go of the old and open oneself to the new.
When you combine incense and sound, a very special space is created: the sound helps you to open up and the smoke helps to clear or move what you want to let go of. This can release the past and create a new space for change.
These are typical incenses:
- Resins such as frankincense, myrrh or spruce resin
- Woods like Palo Santo, cedar wood or sandalwood
- Smoking bundles with dried herbs such as white sage, rosemary or mugwort
- Incense papers with essential oils such as benzoin, citrus oils or lavender
Open new spaces with sound and incense: Yuletide Singing Bowls Set
Our Rauhnächte Singing Bowls Set combines two very powerful elements - sound and smoke - to create a special ritual of awareness: the combination of sound, incense and fragrance opens the space for transformation.
The set consisting of a Peter Hess® Therapy Singing Bowl – Small Heart Bowl, incense Singing Bowl, Zen incense paper from ZoaZen, a small ritual booklet, and matching accessories invites you daily to consciously create your space for peace, mindfulness, and rituals. It enables you to create very simple daily rituals and inspires you to be creative.
Open yourself to new things with our Peter Hess® Heart Singing Bowl and the Smudging Singing Bowl.
The finely vibrating Heart Bowl invites you to consciously open yourself to the special energy of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It supports you in mindfulness exercises, Sound Massages and in releasing tension and promoting lightness. The Smudging Singing Bowl gives you clarity and presence, while the scented smudging paper with bergamot oil has a balancing effect and brightens the mood.
Combine the sound of the heart bowl with the scent of incense paper in meditative moments - this way you can let go of the old and open yourself to the new during the Twelve Nights - mindfully, centered and sensually accompanied.
Get to know our Twelve Nights Singing Bowl Set even better.
Letting go ritual with the Twelve Nights Singing Bowl Set
Write what you want to release or strengthen on a piece of incense paper. Fold it, light it carefully and place it in the Incense SingingSinging Bowl. Then gently hit the incense singingSinging Bowl first and then the heart bowl. Repeat this as often as you like. Watch the smoke rise, listen to the sounds and feel how the smoke and sound lead you into a moment of silence.
Incense rituals with the incense and sound set
For short moments of mindfulness or even smoke nights rituals, we also have something new for you: our Incense and Sound Set. This set is smaller than the Smoke Nights Set and comes with an incense Singing Bowl, incense paper from ZoaZen, mallet and felt pad. In the enclosed small booklet you will also find inspiration for your daily meditations and rituals.
Get to know our Smudge and Sound Set even better.
Wishes for the Rauhnächte - the ritual of the 13 wishes
A popular ritual during the Twelve Nights is the Ritual of the 13 Wishes. You write a wish for the coming year on 13 pieces of paper – preferably on incense paper. Each wish you write down represents a month of the new year. During the twelve Twelve Nights, you draw one piece of paper each night without reading it and burn it. You open the remaining 13th wish at the very end. You are responsible for its fulfillment in the coming year.
When should you write down the wishes?
Write down your wishes before the Rauhnächte begin. This can be very shortly before the first Rauhnacht or even weeks before if you want to have even more clarity about your wishes.
When should you burn the wishes?
Start on the evening of the first day of the Twelve Nights (December 25th) and draw your first wish. Then burn it unread in a fireproof container, such as our Smudging Singing Bowl. Open the last slip of paper on the last day of the Twelve Nights and keep it for your own fulfillment (January 6th).
What happens if you forget to burn a wish?
If you forget a wish, that's no problem: you can simply make up for it the next day. The most important thing is your inner attitude and not absolute perfection.
Examples – Wishes for the twelve nights
To inspire you, we have put together some wishes for the Rauhnächte for you. In the end, however, wishes are always individual - so feel inside yourself to see which wish really resonates with you.
- I hope to be more mindful of my time in the new year and set clear priorities.
- I hope to regularly incorporate moments of peace and mindfulness into my daily routine.
- I hope to direct my energy into projects that truly fulfill me.
- I hope to face the challenges of the new year with confidence.
- I hope to cultivate relationships based on authenticity, appreciation, and clarity.
Of course, you can also align your wishes with the above-mentioned themes of the twelve rough nights - but this is not a must.
Which meditations are suitable for the Rauhnächte?
Meditations during the Twelve Nights can help you to calm down and consciously focus on the new year.
Here is a simple meditation with our Incense Singing Bowl:
- Light a candle and light your incense paper on it.
- Extinguish the flame and place the paper in the Singing Bowl to smolder.
- Strike the Incense SingingSinging Bowl and listen to the sound until it fades away.
- Take a deep breath in and out, and imagine how you let the events of the day or something you want to let go of flow outwards into the smoke with your breath.
- Observe how the smoke rises upwards towards the sky.
- Strike your Singing Bowl again when the sound has faded.
- Repeat steps 4 to 6 for as long as you like.
This simple sound meditation with the Incense Singing Bowl combines breath, sound, and incense – a centering ritual for the evening and during the twelve nights of Christmas.
Preparation: How can you prepare for the Rauhnächte?
You can start preparing mindfully weeks before the twelve nights of Christmas. The more consciously you enter this time, the more powerful it can be for you. Perhaps you will find the time to tidy up, complete open topics, and create a place of peace for your rituals. Prepare the things you need for your twelve nights of Christmas rituals: a Singing Bowl, incense, wish list, a journal or notebook, a candle... This way you can start each evening mindfully – with a moment of silence, focus, and clarity.
Where do the Rauhnächte come from?
Various sources indicate that the origins of the Rauhnächte can be found in Germanic and Celtic cultures. Over the course of time, these ancient customs were mixed with Christian influences and have been passed on in various forms to this day.