Did you know that the word wassail derives from the Saxon ‘Waes Hael’, which was a greeting of goodwill meaning ‘be hale’ or ‘good health’. But wassailing goes back much further than Saxon times because it was originally a pagan ritual.
On Sunday 12 January, people in West Devon will have the chance to take part in this centuries-old tradition when we lead the Okehampton Community Garden Wassail in Fatherford Road.
The family-friendly event takes place from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, when people are invited to gather around to bless the fruit trees for a good harvest. Soup and mulled cider will be available for a donation, and the Wren Music Street Band will also be performing as part of the event.
We’ll have a master of ceremonies to guide people through the wassail, which includes singing traditional wassailing songs: “This is a real community event, and we’d love as many people as possible to join in,” said Wren Music project coordinator Hannah Earl.
“After each of the songs, we’ll be doing three cheers, and someone will be asked to pour some cider onto the trees using a special wassail cup. It’s a lovely way of reconnecting with the seasons and the natural world, using music,” she added.
The event is part of our wider Westcountry Midwinter Music project, funded by National Lottery Arts Projects through Arts Council England, so has been made possible by National Lottery players.
In the autumn, we held a special training event for members of the public to learn the history of wassailing and how to hold one in their local communities by remaining true to the tradition.
Marilyn Tucker, Wren Music creative director, explained: “It’s lovely that wassailing has become so popular again, but we want to preserve the tradition as accurately as we can, and it would be nice for people to understand the significance of how it fits into our customs.”
Wassailing is associated with twelfth night in January, which historically is the correct time to do it. But the tradition does have variations, depending on the location. While rural communities hold their ceremonies in orchards, wassailing groups in towns would usually visit houses, businesses and local pubs to sing their songs.
Hannah said: “If you’d like to learn more about wassailing traditions in our area, come and have a chat with us on the day and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.”
If you’re coming along, we advise that you wrap up warm and wear sturdy shoes.
