Sunday 6 January 2013

The Wassail (Jan 5th).



Here be Lady Magnon, out a-wassailing last night. Ooh aaarh, ooh aaarh; my lovelies.

Twelfth Night is when we all go a-wassailing.

Old Apple tree we wassail thee,
and hoping thou wilt bear hats-full, caps-full,
three bushels bags-full.
And a little heap under the stairs.

We beat the Apple trees to waken them from their winter's sleep, then anoint their roots with cider. We also hang cider-soaked toast on their branches.

If that doesn't bring a good harvest later in the year, then I don't know what would!



18 comments:

  1. No doubt Bok and Monty were there right by your side....but wondering, "What the hell are we doing out here in the orchard at night? Oh well, they're kind people.....humor them."

    ;-)

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    1. They also anointed the trees, but in their own particular style!

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  2. How quaint - are you the only person left in the world who does this - and why at night?

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    1. Not at all. It's mostly carried out in England's West Country, where cider making is all-important. Why at night? I have no idea; just tradition I imagine.

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  3. I saw something similar on TV just the other night, on Rick Stein's "Cornish Christmas". The villagers tied pieces of toast to the apple trees and poured cider round the trees. I love that you're carrying out the same ritual in France!

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  4. Wassailing is alive and well in the West Country. Lou and I went last year to an event at Parke, the National Trust HQ around here. All good fun: toast hanging, saucepan banging and of course, a bit of cider. Is it a French thing too or does Lady Magnon do this on her own? I could see our cross channel cousins would take to this tradition nicely.

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  5. Here in Lincolnshire we undertook the annual Wazzupping and followed the dogs' example with the trees. Then I slept on a bench on the village green. Splendid.

    Good to see the old traditions being kept up and even taught to the heathen trapped across the Channel.

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    Replies
    1. Is 'Wazzupping' modern parlance for Wasp-upping (with The Queen's Wasps, of course)?

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  6. What a quirky and wonderful tradition! Thank goodness there are people like you to keep it going.

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  7. OOh we're going wassaling here in Somerset next weekend!

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  8. This is a tradition I must add!!!!

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  9. I think you are allowed to fire a shotgun into the branches of the orchard as well, but check before you do - I'd hate to think I had caused the death of anyone by police sniper.

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  10. Neat! A lovely tradition. This year we had naught for cider....and had finally purchased the apple grinder to go with our press. We could have done with this tradition me thinks!

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  11. What a wonderful tradition, and a truly wonderful HAT.

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  12. My apples are ripening as I come back from holiday. When I wonder would be a good time to wassail in the Southern Hemisphere? Actually I have been a-morris dancing for a Wassail occasion in these here parts one July at a cider orchard.

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