NSC Member Ian White invites you to his annual wassailing of the apple trees from which he makes his own cider. This is a traditional ritual in Somerset, Devon, Worcestershire, Sussex and Kent, to ensure a good harvest for the season ahead. “Apple tree wassailing is an ancient custom that involves drinking to the health of the apple trees,” Mr White explains. “The Anglo-Saxons used the phrase Wæs hal! as an everyday greeting. Wæs is a form of the verb "to be" related to modern English “was”. Hal is the ancestor of the modern English words whole and hale. Thus, wæs hal literally meant "be healthy".
“Traditionally the custom involved the local farm-workers visiting the orchard after dark with shotguns, horns, food and a large pail or bowl of cider. Usually the best tree would be selected to represent the whole plantation. Cider would be poured over its roots and pieces of toast, or cakes soaked in cider would be placed in the forks of branches, or impaled on twigs. The wassail song would be sung or chanted as a blessing or charm to bring fruitfulness or even in admonishment not to fail in the coming year.
“All would drink from the wassail bowl and the tree would be toasted loudly and merrily. Eventually shotguns were fired, horns blown and a great deal of noise would be made to scare off malevolent spirits whatever may or may not have lurked within the tree and awaken the tree from its winter slumber. Note that instead of the traditional gunfire to drive evil spirits out of the trees, the finale of our wassail will be a barrage of party poppers, as we don’t want a visit from the Met’s finest!”
The event will begin with a gathering at Mr White’s house at 10 Walter’s Way from 1.30, before the group processes to the allotments where he grows his cider apple trees at 2.45. At 3.30 there will be the consumption of jacket potatoes and mulled cider and apple juice, and at 4.15 the party will return to Walters Way. In case of bad weather there will still be a gathering at Walters Way.
More details (and wassail song lyrics) at http://www.onetreehillcider.uk/wassail.html.