Rauhnächte · 2026 → 2027
The 13 Wishes Ritual and the 12 Holy Nights
Thirteen wishes written before Christmas, twelve burned unread, one kept. Between December 24 and January 6, the holy nights bridge 2026 and 2027.
In short
How do you do the 13 wishes ritual?
Write 13 wishes on 13 slips of paper, fold them and mix them without rereading. On each of the 12 holy nights, December 24 to January 5, burn one slip at random without reading it. On January 6, open the last one: that wish is yours to make happen.
The ritual, step by step
- 1
Before December 24
Take 13 small slips of paper. On each, write one wish in the present tense, as if it had already come true. One wish per slip, nothing negative.
- 2
Fold and mix
Fold every slip the same way so you can no longer tell them apart, then mix them in a box or a bowl.
- 3
Each night, December 24 to January 4
Draw one slip at random and burn it without reading it, in a fireproof dish. That wish you hand over to the universe.
- 4
Keep a dream journal
Leave a notebook by your bed. Tradition holds that each night's dream sets the mood of one month of the coming year.
- 5
January 6
One slip is left. Open it and read it: this is the wish you take charge of. Nobody will make it happen for you.
🔥 Burn your slips over a metal dish or a sink, away from anything flammable, and never leave a flame unattended.
A sheet of 13 strips to cut out, ready to print.
The calendar of nights
The most common count starts on the night of December 24 to 25. Some families start on the evening of the 25th, others write their wishes on the December 21 solstice: pick the count that speaks to you and keep it to the end.
Your 12 nights, your 12 months
Each night foreshadows a month of the year ahead. Draw one card per night: by the end you hold a calendar of your year in twelve Major Arcana. Your draws stay on this device.
Night 1
Dec 24 → Dec 25
January
Night 2
Dec 25 → Dec 26
February
Night 3
Dec 26 → Dec 27
March
Night 4
Dec 27 → Dec 28
April
Night 5
Dec 28 → Dec 29
May
Night 6
Dec 29 → Dec 30
June
Night 7
Dec 30 → Dec 31
July
Night 8
Dec 31 → Jan 1
August
Night 9
Jan 1 → Jan 2
September
Night 10
Jan 2 → Jan 3
October
Night 11
Jan 3 → Jan 4
November
Night 12
Jan 4 → Jan 5
December
How to write good wishes
- Present tense, positive form: "I live in a bright apartment" rather than "I don't want this dark apartment anymore".
- One wish per slip. Thirteen small precise wishes beat three big vague ones.
- For you, not for others: no wishes about someone else's life.
- Mix the areas: love, work, health, home, creativity, travel, and one or two slightly wild ones.
Where the holy nights come from
The Rauhnächte, also spelled Raunächte, are a tradition of the German-speaking and Alpine world. The name may come from "rau", the rough fur of the creatures in local legends, or from "Rauch", the incense smoke used to cleanse houses and stables. Both etymologies circulate and neither has won.
These nights fall "between the years". A lunar year has 354 days and a solar year 365: the eleven days and twelve nights left over form a time outside the calendar, when the veil between worlds was said to thin. It is the season of the Wild Hunt in folk tales, and a time to watch your dreams.
The 13 wishes ritual is a modern practice grafted onto that tradition. It circulates mostly in German-speaking countries and in France, where it has become a fixture of the holiday season. English-language guides are still rare.
To open 2027
Sunday Reading 🌙
One card, one intention, every Sunday morning.
Frequently asked questions
When do the 12 holy nights start?+
The most common count runs from the night of December 24 to 25 to the night of January 4 to 5, and the last wish is read on January 6, Epiphany. Some shift by a day: from the evening of the 25th to the night of January 5 to 6.
What if I miss a night?+
Burn two slips the next evening. The ritual rests on intention and rhythm, not on the clock.
What do I do with the 13th wish?+
Read it on January 6 and keep it in sight all year. It is the one you do not hand over: it is up to you to act on it.
Can I do the ritual with other people?+
Yes, each with their own slips. Sharing the moment of the flame every evening adds a ritual of its own, but keep your wishes to yourself.