A procession of fifty people, noisily walked through the village and down to the orchard on Saturday, 21st January for the first Painswick Wassail. The villagers taking part carried lanterns and banged drums to wake the trees up from their winter slumber. In the orchard a large fire roared, whilst the 'Green Man' John Rhodes, wassailed the largest and most bountiful tree in the orchard, toasting it with cider and hanging bread on it's branches. On one of the coldest nights of the year, the mummers arrived and performed a traditional play about St. George and everyone warmed themselves up with a warming stew.
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