Twelfth Night, Epiphany and Wassailing

Hiya, I'm back - not that I've been anywhere. Many thanks for comments on the New Year post. Having a few days off blogging has given me time to sort out some things to write about for at least the rest of this week.

I don't know if  it was an omen for a good year but opening the bedroom curtains yesterday morning I spotted a hare passing through the garden - it's been a while since I saw one. (Although later I found a half dead mouse in the living room - don't know what that foretells for January!)

 
The Twelfth night after Christmas marked the end of Yule festivities. All decorations had to be taken down and the holly and other green stuff would be burned. It was once thought that every holly leaf left indoors after this date would turn into a mischievous spirit.
In medieval times there would be games and feasting  and in Tudor times a masque or play would be presented and it was usual back then to have a Twelfth Night Cake which had a bean baked into it and whoever found the bean would be King for the day. That custom faded away when Christmas cakes became more popular.
Epiphany is the  Christian Feast day marking the visit of  the Wise Men from the East bringing their gifts to the baby Jesus.

My favourite thing for Twelfth Night is wassailing the apple trees. I've been doing this for years and it never makes any difference to the amount of apples but I'm ever hopeful. Last year was a poor crop - not quite as bad as 2012 but almost.

 Although there is an old saying

Sun through the Apple trees on Christmas Day means a fine crop is on the way.

And there was sunshine here on Christmas day - so maybe this year will be better.  

 This year I was able to find out more about Wassailing from the book that I picked up at a boot sale last September. It has stories of old celebrations and accounts of all the "Re-awakenings"..........  that is new events that have started since the mid C20.

 Also found this recipe  for a traditional Suffolk Wassail drink (according to a Lavender and Lovage website) Although in my 64 years in Suffolk I've never heard of it before.

Ingredients

• 6 small apples, cored
• 6 teaspoons soft brown sugar
• 1 orange
• 6 cloves
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 litres cider
• 300mls port
• 300mls sherry or Madeira
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 lemon, halved

Step 1	Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
Step 2	Cut around the middle of each apple with a sharp knife and place them in an oven proof dish. Fill each apple core cavity with a teaspoon of sift brown sugar. Stick the cloves in the orang and place it with the apples in the dish. Add a little water, about 6 tablespoons and roast in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft but still retain their shape.
Step 3	Leave the apples in the dish to keep warm and take the orange out - cut it in half and place it on a large sauce pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and the juices from the apple roasting dish to the sauce pan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Step 4	Bring the mixture to the boil and then turn it down immediately and keep it warm until you need to serve it.
Step 5	When you are ready to serve the wassail, ladle the fruit and spiced into a large punch bowl and then pour the wassail into the bowl. Add the apples by floating them on top and serve straight away in warmed mugs or cups.
Step 6	The apples can be eaten afterwards as a delectable dessert with cream or custard

 Sounds good to me..................... although I have no plans to make any.

My celebration involved soaking a bit of toast in apple juice and laying it on one of the biggest branches of the biggest apple tree and then pouring some apple juice on the roots......it should be cider but that's not something I have around................maybe that's why it doesn't work?
Then while hitting the apple tree trunk with a stick you have to chant .

Old apple tree, we wassail thee and

hope that thou wilt bear

Hats-full, caps-full, three-bushel bags full

And a little heap under the stairs

Hip Hip Hooray 

I've found this verse is actually the last bit  of a longer wassailing song..............

Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
For the Lord doth know where we shall be
‘Til apples come another year

For to bear well and to bloom well
So merry let us be
Let every man take off his hat
And shout to the old apple tree

Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
Hat fulls, cap fulls, three bushel bag fulls
And a little heap under the stair

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

In some places celebrations include firing guns through the branches, I don't do that....obviously, and I have to chant quietly to avoid worrying the next door neighbours!

If the weather is too awful for wassailing Apple trees on this Twelfth Night it's OK to put it off until the 17th which is 'Old Twelfth Night' using the calendar which was in use until 1752.

Back Tomorrow
Sue