WASSAIL YOUR WAY THROUGH JANUARY JOIN IN THIS ANCIENT TRADITION
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When the New Year celebrations are over, Britain’s cider-making counties have another unique seasonal tradition up their sleeves; Wassailing!
These events are particularly prevalent in Herefordshire, the UK’s biggest cider producing region, generating over half of the country’s 700 million litres of annual cider, and home to the biggest cider maker in the world, Bulmers.
Wassailing is the ancient tradition of blessing the orchards, the apple and pear trees, with singing and dancing by the light of burning torches to encourage fruitfulness and bounty in the year ahead. The word itself originates from “waes hael”, meaning ‘be healthy’ in both Old English and Old Norse.
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This Anglo-Saxon custom is said to date back many centuries and has evolved to be a real family event in those dark January days. Wassailing celebrations vary, but typically involve a lively, torch-lit procession to the orchard, where revellers gather round the biggest tree to sing and create lots of noise to ward off bad spirits. Often a wassail bowl, filled with warm spiced cider, perry or ale, is shared among the procession and poured on the tree roots. The Wassail King & Queen (usually children) make a gift to the biggest tree, when they are hoisted into the boughs to place toast soaked in wassail (the cider mix). The bread is said to keep the birds alive during winter so that they will eat the bugs and keep the trees healthy in spring.
Gathering around a lit fire in the orchard, which represents ‘renewal’, not to mention some welcome warmth for participants in cold January, you are encouraged to chant an invocation such as…
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Traditionally a Wassail is held on Twelfth night; the evening of 5th January, though some celebrate on ‘Old Twelvey Night’ on 17th January, and even in between.
Here’s to thee, old apple tree, May you bud, may you bow! Stand fast root, bear well top, Pray God send us a good howling crop. Every twig, apples big, Every bough, apples now. Hats full, caps full, full quarter sacks full, Holla boys holla, and blow the horn!
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