The Way of the Wassail and the Blessing of the Apple Trees

January's Merriment

I’m Jo, a maker, grower, musician and artist, nurturing a life-long devotional practice of weaving nature and ritual into the everyday. This is a place for seekers of untamed edges, the imperfect and the meaningful with twice monthly tales from the woods, garden and hearth. Gather in, rest and deepen your relationship with the beguiling beauty and feral corners of the natural world.

This is a slightly longer journal entry than normal because it contains instructions for holding your own Apple Blessing Ceremony. Some email providers like Gmail will truncate longer messages. If you see this type of message, click on "View entire message" or try reading it in the app.

January is a quiet month for many. After all the festivities of December this first month of the year can feel stark and sombre, with spring still feeling like it’s a long way away. But there is a small festival in January which can help to bring some cheerfulness and delight to an otherwise cold, grey month. Apple Wassailing has enjoyed a resurgence in the last few years, along with a folk revival in the UK. An interest in traditional orchards and the growth of community orchards has meant that Wassailing has become a part of the calendar once again. 

Keeping alive the ancient rituals and traditions which encourage a connection and a deep appreciation for our trees and land feels more important than ever. Orchards and woods are disappearing fast and habitats for wildlife are dwindling. Orchards are unique habitats supporting up to 18,000 wildlife species¹. Wassailing is a bit of fun, but it’s also an enriching experience, because it provides the opportunity to feel a part of preserving the environment. It might be a very small part, but every nurturing action helps.

Wassailing is believed to be a centuries old custom² that took place on Twelfth Night, this being the last day of Christmas (6th January). But in 1752, England adopted the Gregorian calendar and dates were adjusted by 11 days. Although Twelfth Night remained on the 6th January, traditionalists regard the 17th January—Old Twelfth Night, or ‘Old Twelvey’—as the proper day for Wassailing, and most Wassails were held around this time. Wassails don’t have to be on this specific date, they can be anytime in January. Likewise they can be held during the day or in the evening.

Wassailing has survived down the centuries, although mainly in the South and West country areas of Sussex, Somerset and Gloucester. It is said that villages had their own Wassailing songs.

Ceremonies vary, but all have similar core elements. The word ‘Wassail’ derives from the Anglo Saxon ‘waes hael’: to be whole and in good health. Wassailers would have been made up of farmers, farm workers and villagers who would go from orchard to orchard in a noisy procession.

The tradition of wassailing is to wake up the apple trees and scare away evil spirits to ensure a good autumn fruit harvest. A Wassail King or Queen leads the song or processional tune to be played. The best or oldest tree is chosen to represent the orchard. Cider is poured on the roots, and toast (often soaked or dipped in cider) is placed in the forks of the tree or hung from the branches for the robins. These winter bird companions are thought to be the guardians of the orchard. An incantation is recited and the trees are then rapped by the assembled crowd who will sing, shout and bang pots and pans. To conclude the ceremony Wassail songs are performed, accompanied by much merry making.

Wassail ceremonies roughly follow this format, although it varies from region to region. Like many folk customs, nothing is set in stone, and it’s open to interpretation. That’s the best thing, there is nothing to get wrong, only what what feels right and appropriate for you.

Often we will do our own wassailing ceremony at home, rather than going to a community Wassail. We have a Cox’s apple tree and a crab apple in our garden, and we’ve had just as much pleasure from blessing our apple trees as we have going to an orchard. Likewise when I’ve lived in flats previously, I have followed my own mini Apple Blessing Ceremony at home and kept it really simple.

Below you’ll find the Wassail Ceremony that I use. I have included some accessible adaptations underneath that. Feel free to adjust it in ways that suit you. Muddy orchards and gardens in January are not always easy to access. Likewise, if you don’t have apples trees in your vicinity, or outdoor ceremonies are difficult to attend for any reason, Wassailing can be adapted into an Apple Blessing Ceremony that you can do resting inside. It’s no less meaningful. Like all offerings the important part is the intent and thought behind it. Wassailing is about giving thanks for the food we have and offering a blessing for the year ahead.

WASSAIL CEREMONY

Traditionally, the Wassail begins with a musical procession to the orchard or garden tree. The best or oldest tree is chosen to represent the orchard. The music can be played with instruments or sung acapella, or even played on someone’s phone. Singing incantations and traditional wassail songs in the orchards was thought to reawaken the apple trees from their winter slumber. Some people use rags or ribbons to decorate the tree to bring the ‘good spirits’ and also to ‘hold’ the participants blessings.

Wassailers then gather round the tree. The ceremony then begins with an invocation:

Everyone present is invited to take a piece of toast, pour a little cider on it (or dip the bottom of the toast into a bowl containing cider) then hang it on the tree, offering a blessing for the year ahead. Some participants choose to say a blessing out loud as they do so, such as “to good health and a good harvest”, some people prefer to say a private, silent blessing. There’s no right or wrong way. Pieces of toast were hung up in the branches of the apple trees to please the spirits already in the fruit trees and to attract more good spirits. 

A participant is then invited to pour cider on the soil, over the roots of the tree, to wish them “good health”.

Then an incantation is recited by wassailers, such as the Sussex Tree Blessing:

The trees are then rapped with sticks by the assembled crowd, and at the same time there’s singing, shouting, clattering pots and pans and making as much of a din as possible. The rapping and beating of the tree was believed to stimulate its growth, and also banish any bad spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit next autumn.

To end the ceremony, everyone joins in the singing of a traditional wassail song, such as the Old Fox Wassail:

The merrymaking continues with wassail punch, cakes and more music. You can find a Wassail Punch recipe below.

ADAPTATIONS

If it’s better for you, instead of gathering round a tree you can sit at a table indoors and use a bowl of apples as the focal point. You can still use all the same verses: invocation, incantation and Wassail song. You can also use toast, and pour a little juice (or cider) on it to offer a blessing of good health and a good harvest for the year ahead. You could add candles next to the apples, and any other greenery if you like.

On the other hand, to simplify it even further you could lie down holding an apple in your hands and recite the invocation, incantation and Wassail song out loud, or in your head. It will hold significance because of your intention, not the amount of things you use or don’t use.

WASSAIL PUNCH

Serves 4 
Less than 10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
This is a non-alcoholic version. If you prefer, substitute the apple juice for cider

Ingredients

- 1.5 litres of apple juice
- Juice of half a lemon
- 6 whole cloves 
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 pinch ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg 
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 apples

Method

1.  Warm the apple juice in a pan on a low heat or in a slow cooker. 
2.  Once warmed, add the spices, honey, the juice of half a lemon, and sliced apple pieces.
3.  Stir briefly.
4.  Gently heat to just about simmering for 20 minutes. 
5.  Ladle the warmed apple juice into cups along with a slice of the apple.

LINKS

If you’re interested in getting involved with your own Local Community Growing Project, here are a few UK links:

The Orchard Project

Racial Justice and Community Orchards

The Orchard Network (UK)

Social Farms and Gardens

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I’d love to know, do you enjoy any festivities based around folk traditions? Do you also Wassail?

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1. https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk

2. There is a reference to wassailing going back to 1486-93 for payments for wassails at St Mary De Pre Priory in St. Albans. SAHAAS stalbanshistory.org.