Here’s to thee, old apple tree…

We are really excited that the fantastic Foodie Bugle has featured our article about wassailing...

Toasting a tree’s good health and banging saucepan lids to ward away evil spirits, it might sound peculiar, but this is the ancient custom of wassailing, and it’s taken quite seriously around here!

Wassailing has been practiced for centuries, the tradition pre-dates Christianity. The word “vas heil” is believed to originate from the Norse language, and translated into the Old English “waes hael“ meaning “good health.”

The custom is mainly celebrated in the cider counties of south east and south west England; Kent, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire to ensure a good harvest the following year. It takes place each year after dark on Old Twelfth Night, which falls on the 17^th January, later than we celebrate today.

Traditionally the whole village would take part and would gather with fire lit torches, walking to one or many orchards swinging pitchers of cider, blowing horns and banging saucepan lids noisily to warn away evil spirits and wake the trees from their slumber. The custom varies from village to village but usually a song is performed, such as this example from ‘England In Particular’ by Sue Clifford and Angela King;

Here’s to thee, old apple tree

Whence thou may’st bud and whence though may’st blow,

And whence thou may’st bear apples enow.

Hats full, Caps full, Bushel, Bushel, Bushel Sacks full,

And my pockets full too!

Huzzah!

A king or queen leads the wassail, choosing the orchard’s most bountiful tree and placing in the forked trunk some bread soaked in cider, a gift to the robin, believed to be the guardian of the orchard. Cider, mulled with sugar and cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg spices, is poured over the trees roots to encourage growth, as well as drunk by the revelers, often in specially crafted wassail cups or bowls. In Gloucestershire, it was tradition to drink ‘Lamb’s Wool’ a mixture of hot ale, sugar, roasted apples with cream or eggs floating in it!

“Never to be forgotten, that first long secret drink of golden fire, juice of those valleys and of that time, wine of wild orchards, of russet summer, of plump red apples, and Rosie's burning cheeks. Never to be forgotten, or ever tasted again.”

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

Nowadays wassailing is making a return to the countryside with local community groups and cider producers reviving this ancient custom. Painswick Community Orchard Group, in Gloucestershire, held their first wassail in 2012 with many curious villagers joining in:

“We founded the group after finding a map of the village dating back to the 1800’s” said Iris McCormick, owner of the local B&B, “It showed how almost every other field was an orchard and we were shocked to realise how few, if any were still here today. It was important to us to bring this wonderful tradition back so that future generations can enjoy it and value our orchard heritage.”

According to a Mintel Oxygen Report (Feb: 2012) cider has seen a 67% increase in sales between 2006 and 2011. This has resulted in growth for local cider producers and seen an increase in small-scale artisan cider producers entering the market. But times are hard, and this year the country suffered the worst harvest for 15 years, with many trees failing to fruit. 

Take part in the Painswick Wassail on Saturday 12th January from 5pm.