I didn't get outside to Wassail my small apple trees on the modern twelfth night on the 6th - it was probably raining, so must do it tonight which was twelfth night before the calendars changed in 1752. It was still called 'old twelfy' in parts of the country up to the C19. I have a can of cheap cider in the cupboard right ready.
Wassail is a very old word, coming from the Anglo-Saxon Drinking toast "Waes Hael" meaning "be of good health" to which the answer was "Drinc Hael". This has been recorded in old medieval English and earlier in the epic 'Beowulf' poem and there is also a toasting scene on the Bayeux Tapestry. It was definitely well known by the mid C13 not just as a personal drinking toast but as a festive occasion around Christmas with drinking and entertainment.
On Twelfth night in the past there were two different types of Wassailing. The first was moving door to door around the village singing and carrying a wassailing bowl and the second was a ceremony taking place in orchards, blessing the trees for a good crop next year. In the C19 farm workers were often paid in cider during the harvest, so it was important the trees were healthy and produced plenty of fruit......... at one time there were 400 varieties of apples and an orchard on every farm in every village and an apple tree in every cottage garden.
The tradition has come and gone and then "reawakened" more recently, often by groups of Morris Dancers and folk singers.
So that's what I'll be doing, blessing the apple trees and pouring cider on the roots, although I won't be shouting - the neighbours are a bit close for that!
I only knew of this because of The Archers! We have long tail tits too enjoying the far balls, gorgeous birds.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear they know about traditions in Ambridge!
DeleteThat's a lovely old tradition and I hope your apples are fantastic this year. xx
ReplyDeleteThe trees are so young I'm not expecting many
DeleteI didn't think to wassail our trees, darn it!
ReplyDeleteThere's still time!
DeleteIts good to see old traditions observed
ReplyDeleteI'd love to find some orchards locally that join in but not many orchards left in Suffolk
DeleteThe sun sets here at 16:40 today, and depending on sore joints I shall be up in our orchard blessing the apple trees with son in law! x
ReplyDeleteHave fun - but stay warm
DeleteA friend in Herefordshire has two orchards (I think Westons' cider harvest them) and they Wassail each January. Like Debbie, I love to see the old customs adhered to.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd love to see that still happening
DeleteIn Wiltshire wassailing still takes place in Avebury. Hooray!
DeleteI must try that next year. It may help our poor little trees recover from the storms.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly can't do any harm
DeleteIs there a wassailing app on facebook?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's an app for everything - or a QR code!
DeleteMy English father used to quote an old saying, " A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be."
ReplyDeleteI know. Awful. I wonder how localised that saying was.
It was a well known saying all over the country I think. I used to beat the walnut tree when we lived at the smallholding - no idea if it did any good as the squirrels usually stole the walnuts anyway
DeleteHope your cider gives you good fruit in the coming year. Great to remember old customs. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThey are such young trees so I'm not expecting many apples yet
DeleteWe have an apple orchard here in central NJ where they wassail every January, and have a big party.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting to hear that traditions have spread or been kept going so far away
DeleteOn your recommendation. I am going to have a blessing of my trees. They are covered in snow/ice due to yesterday's storm. They all show buds and that is a great sign. I'm optimistic. Wassailing can only make them even better!
ReplyDeleteHope it works for you and you have a good crop.
DeleteGood country traditions! May your crop be bountiful.
ReplyDeleteIt would be good, although they are very young
DeleteI love the idea of blessing the trees. I hope our Northern Michigan cherry farmers know of this tradition and were out in force!
ReplyDeleteLots of cherries sounds very good
DeleteMay your apple tree produce lots of apples..... Too dang cold to go out and bless my fruit trees.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It's quite cold here but probably only a degree below freezing point
DeleteWe wassailed all my fruit trees this year for the first time. Friends came to help with the pruning, then, when dusk approached, we cloaked up, took our drums, cider and bread and wassailed around five acres and the bungalow garden, which has the majority of the apple and pear trees. I'd composed my own Wassail song which we sang in the field, then came indoors for mulled cider and sang the Gloucestershire wassail around the piano in the hall. Great fun and everyone enjoyed themselves.
ReplyDelete