There’s a word in Norwegian that has no true English equivalent: Romjul. It describes the days between Christmas and New Year, the soft, in-between space when the rush is over, but the new year hasn’t yet begun.

I didn’t understand the magic of Romjul until experiencing it growing up in Norway. Snow blanketed the ground, the pace of life slowing, the world falling into a hush. It felt like time itself had exhaled, creating room for me to simply be.

Discovering the Pause

Back home in the UK, those days between Christmas and New Year often disappeared in a blur. Leftovers, sales shopping, half-hearted tidying, and preparing for the next round of celebration. It was almost as if I was rushing through the “waiting room” of the year, anxious for the clock to strike midnight on the 31st.

But in Norway, I learned to see Romjul differently. I learned that it is not wasted time, it is sacred time. A liminal space where we are invited to reflect, replenish, and reset. A time to gather our energy, honour what has been, and prepare gently for what is to come.

Midlife and the Need for Rest

In midlife, this pause feels more necessary than ever. So much of our lives is built on doing, giving, and holding everything together. We rarely give ourselves permission to stop, to linger in stillness.

Romjul offers us that chance. To release the striving. To listen to the whispers of our hearts. To let the year land in our bones before rushing into the next.

How to Embrace Romjul in Your Own Life

You don’t need Scandinavian snow to welcome the spirit of Romjul. You can create it wherever you are, simply by choosing presence over productivity. Here are some gentle practices:

1. Clear the Calendar: Say no to unnecessary commitments. Protect these days as sacred, a cocoon of rest.
2. Put Christmas Away Early: On the 27th of December, I like to gently pack away Christmas and re-style our home for winter. It feels like a soft reset, clearing the space and energy so I can step into the New Year with a sense of freshness and simplicity. Something is grounding about creating a home that reflects the stillness of winter rather than the intensity of the festive season.
3. Reflect, Don’t Rush: Instead of leaping into resolutions, use this time to look back. Journal, meditate, or simply walk in nature as you process the year just gone.
4. Nourish Yourself: Eat slow meals. Sleep in. Read books by the fire. Let your body feel replenished.
5. Create Small Rituals: Light a candle each evening. Write a gratitude list. Pull a card for guidance. Anchor yourself with simple rituals of presence.

Journaling Prompts for You

• How do I usually spend the days between Christmas and New Year? Do they leave me nourished or drained?
• What lessons, joys, or challenges from the past year do I want to honour before stepping forward?
• How can I create small, soulful pauses in my everyday life, not just at the end of the year?
• If I allowed myself to fully rest during Romjul, what might emerge in the quiet?

An Inspired Call to Action

This year, I invite you to reclaim Romjul. Resist the temptation to fill it with busyness. Instead, let it be a sanctuary, a soft landing at the end of one year and a gentle doorway into the next.

Because it is in the stillness that we gather our strength. In the quiet that we hear ourselves again. In the sacred pause that we are reminded, we are more than what we do; we are human beings, not human doings.

Romjul is a gift. Open it with care.

If my words have helped you, a small contribution here will allow them to continue reaching the women who need them most. Also, don't forget to join me on Substack, where I share my Love Notes, a gentle pause in your week to reflect, realign, and reconnect in midlife. It’s not just another newsletter; it’s an intimate circle where I offer fresh intentions, soulful prompts, and simple but powerful shifts to inspire purposeful, creative living. Together, we’ll uncover the small but meaningful changes that help you design a life that feels beautifully your own.