Wassailing

"𝕺𝖑𝖉 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖊, 𝖜𝖊'𝖑𝖑 𝖜𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖆𝖎𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖊'

𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝖍𝖔𝖕𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖗.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖉𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖜𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊,

𝕿𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖞𝖊𝖆𝖗.

𝕿𝖔 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖑,

𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖔 𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖚𝖘 𝖇𝖊;

𝕷𝖊𝖙 𝖊𝖛'𝖗𝖞 𝖒𝖆𝖓 𝖉𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝖚𝖕 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖈𝖚𝖕,

𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖊."

Wassailing, a winter tradition occurring on the twelfth night, between January 5th and January 17th ('old twelvey' from the Julian calendar), is not as widespread as it used to be. Most of its associated customs are now primarily found in folklore. This celebration involves dancing and drinking cider in orchards to honour the trees and ensure a bountiful harvest in the upcoming months. Wassail comes from the Saxon word 'Waes Hael' which means 'Good Health'

Wassail is typically celebrated with the new year, where people spread joy by singing and dancing as they visit homes with their wassailing bowl. The residents of these homes are blessed for the year as they fill the bowl with warm spiced cider for the performers.

Fruit growers and farmers bless the orchard trees with storytelling and songs. They dance around the trees and pass around the wassailing bowl of warm spiced cider. The giver invites the next person to drink by saying Waes Hael, and the receiver replies with Drink Hael (drink well), before offering the trees the spiced cider from their bowl and bread for the good spirit protecting the orchard. They drive out the bad spirit with lively singing, dancing, and gunshots. Some farmers also bless their best animals similarly, pouring cider on them and adding a sprig of rosemary for gratitude and protection. They tell stories, mentioning their best stock of animals and including their names to ensure healthy offspring, and then bless their home by drinking more warm, spiced cider and eating wassailing cake.

Celebrating your trees and animals and spreading joy and happiness is a wonderful way to reconnect with the natural world, reminding us that we are part of nature and celebrating the gradually lengthening days ahead. While it may not be in the traditional sense of wassailing, this serves as a reminder to express gratitude for the upcoming harvest developing in the dormant trees and expectant bellies. It helps dispel the winter blues and strengthens your connection to the winter season and its time of stillness and rest, as we mirror the behaviour of the trees. It's also a perfect reason to enjoy some warm mulled cider!