Romjul - Twixtmas

A Short Blog on the Norwegian Tradition of Romjul

There is a special place between Christmas - the Winter Solstice - and new year, where time seems to stop - a liminal place. We are more commonly calling it 'Twixtmas', our cousins in the North, the Norwegians, already have a name for it....Romjul.

This is the weird time between Christmas and New Year. If you are lucky enough to still be off from work, we don't know what the day is, we are keeping strange times - staying up late, so getting up later, eating all the leftovers and Christmas food at odd times of the day, in a word, The Festive Season!

Some people have already gone back to work, but there is still that peculiar feeling of nothing is "back to normal"...and oh how we crave that, despite desperately running the race to finish for Christmas, a mad dash to get to that perceived "rest"...which doesn't end up restful because we are trying to fit everything and everybody in....it feels like people have barely paused for breath and they are wishing to get back on the treadmill already - we are inundated with sales, adverts for holidays, planning the next year before it's even begun!

This time of between Christmas and new year is called Romjul in Norway. As always our more Northern cousins have words and rituals for these times that encompass the feelings of the season! Where the Danes gave us Hygge, (you can read more about Hygge here on my Winter Solstice Blog) the Norwegians give us Romjul!

Romjul is known as the betwixt and between times .. a liminal time, which are always magical spaces - where we don’t look at the date... or time. Late nights, sleep ins, pyjama days. Its a time of rest, relaxation, hibernation.  Christmas and all the hustle and bustle that comes with it is over... we have passed through the Solstice, we have had our Christmas day, New years eve is around the corner, and so I say, let's embrace Romjul!!

We talk a lot about self-care, and to me, this liminal time is all about that, about really taking it easy on yourself – if ever there was a time to kick back, take the pressure off, put the “to do” lists to one side, this is it! A perfect time to get into that shadow work, more on that here.... to do tarot and oracle card readings, go for walks, eat up the cheese, read books, keep that cosy feeling!

Lots of us are feeling under the weather, there are many colds and viruses about, the build up to Christmas, the dark days, the lack of sunlight, the stress and worry about life, family, whats going on in the world, are all taking their toll on our systems and energy levels.

Soon we will be racing towards the New Year. It, like many things in life, has a duality about it, as we really want to put the past year behind us, to turn our faces to the light, standing at the threshold of a new doorway, praying for better days and new beginnings, but we know that we are still in the depths of Winter, there are still dark days, hard weather, who knows what is happening with the economy, the food and fuel crisis, climate change, war....the depressing list of 21st century woes goes on, and so of course, we are hesitant. Which is where we are completely manipulated again..in order to distract us from those worries our Western consumer led society as usual never lets up...before we even hit Christmas day the stores are stripped and the preparation for "the sales" has begun. More spending, more stuff, more pressure to buy!! Boxing day sales!!... ugh, I mean, what on earth makes that a pleasurable thing to do??!!

Which is where Romjul brilliantly encapsulates living in the moment! How perfect that we should just be able to give ourselves permission to just be in the now….nothing to plan for…nothing to do apart from just be…for a few days at least.

Learning To Hibernate - There is evidence that our ancient Ancestors may have hibernated

Check out the article here.... for me, I feel these few days give us the luxury of being able to connect with that – stay in the warm, snuggle down and rest. In the article they are talking about our very ancient Ancestors, pre history, but our more recent farming Ancestors would have slowed down in the Winter too. Food would have been scarce and needed to have been preserved, along with energy...huddling around the fire would take precedent, I talk more about this in my Winter Solstice blog - about why this is so vital for us. At this time we/they would have shared stories to pass the time and dream away (manifest) what they wish for the coming seasons.

As we did at the Winter Solstice, we can start to formulate the plans and ideas for the coming year – but Imbolc, our next festival is still some weeks off, and so if planning brings us back to stress and worry, just return to Romjul! I have always loved this between time, but now I know it has a name, I am really embracing that! It’s another way of returning us to stillness, to self-care, self-awareness, self-love.

I've noticed so many people are rushing again, 'get the decorations down, get to the sales, book the holidays'....preparing for new year...but all that is so disconnected from what we should be doing - new year, new shoots, new growth, is not visibly happening until Imbolc at the earliest - we should be dreaming, and healing.

I should be doing business planning...updating the website, scheduling social media posts blah blah blah, (and I am to a degree, I'm here doing this!, but in a much slower more enjoyable way)…and then there is the housework, the D.I.Y and so much to do outside – but actually, just thinking about that right now makes me feel overwhelmed, and so I am honouring Romjul, connecting in with what our ancient souls long for - rest, stillness - how can we heal if we are constantly striving and working?

There is so much evidence now that proves that constant doom scrolling, watching videos/media etc, never giving ourselves time to just sit and be, to do 'nothing' other than let our minds idle, day dream, is not only taking away our creativity, but preventing our healing!

Research studies indicate that being constantly connected to social media and not allowing the brain sufficient "idle time" is linked to several negative effects on cognitive functions, mental well-being, and sleep. I've attached an article below;

The Impact of Social Media on Cognitive Function and Brain Health

We are living in the digital age - there is no getting away from it - technology has moved so fast and we are only just getting to know the effects of these things on us, yet they are entrenched in our society and Western culture already - and they are amazing, I am not advocating that we shouldn't use them! But, learning how to integrate and use them in ways that are healthy and benefit us and our communities is our priority now.

I find it fascinating that we have been brought up to think of daydreaming as bad! How many of you remember getting told off at school for gazing off into the distance and having a daydream? As children we are hard wired to do it (were?? all the computer games and screen time prevent this!) Now we are learning its actually really good for us!

Research indicates that daydreaming is a valuable mental process that supports important cognitive functions, including creativity, problem-solving, planning, and emotional regulation.

The specific benefits depend on the type and content of the daydreams. It is crucial to differentiate between types of mind-wandering, as the content is key: 

• Positive-constructive daydreaming involves pleasant thoughts, planning, and curiosity.

• Guilty-dysphoric daydreaming or rumination involves unpleasant emotions, past mistakes, and a narrowed focus of attention, which can be linked to negative outcomes like depression or anxiety. 

Here is an article on day dreaming, how it can benefit us and how to do it!!

Why Daydreaming Could Be One of Your Brain’s Superpowers

So, as part of embracing the Spirit of Romjul and Twixtmas, I invite you to have a bit of a digital detox - read the books, gaze into candle flames and fire, daydream and journal!! It’s the one time of the year when we can really step into that freedom of letting go and surrendering, and boy, do we still need practice at that!! Do let me know how you get on.

Much love and blessings for Romjul,

Sam AuroraStar Green Witch XXX

© 2025 Sam AuroraStar, The Green Witchery. All rights reserved. Thank you for walking the Wheel of the Year with me. This blog is written by a human witch - AI used for research and SEO purposes only.