From a recent evening, a Wassail in the local orchard.
Wassail is an old English winter tradition, originating from the Norse “wæs hæil” (be well), involving singing, drinking spiced ale/cider, and toasting for good health and a bountiful harvest, especially in orchards on Twelfth Night (Jan 5th/6th). It features a communal drink (wassail bowl) of warm, spiced apple/cider, often with baked apples and toast (“lamb’s wool”), and rituals like making noise to scare evil spirits from trees.
