Wassail

Sunday 19 January 2020

2pm to 5pm

A traditional Wassail with ceremony Master extraordinaire Les Davies MBE

Help us awaken the apple tress in our secret orchard as part of this age old tradition, when we will also be joined by local Storyteller, Jane Flood as she tells us tales of folklore and magic

Programme

2pm – 3pm         Wassail ceremony

Les will immerse us in the history of the Wassail following which we will choose our Wassail Queen or King

The Queen or King will then lead the procession to the oldest tree in the orchard where we will gather to drive away the evil spirits with lots of noise!

Once we have banished the evil ones, the good spirits will be encouraged to the orchard by toasting the oldest tree, after which we will Wassail it with the Wassail song

3pm – 4pm          Traditional Somerset stories 

We will join Jane Flood as she weaves stories of folklore and Somerset history taking us on an adventure for our minds!

4pm – 5pm

You are welcome to spend time in the orchard or make use of our craft box to create your own stories and pictures from the day

Please feel free to bring your own instruments for a good old fashioned jam session!

We are delighted that we will be joined by local cider makers, Houses.

Special thanks to……

Luce loves Flowers 

Hecks cider

What you need to know

• The event will be outdoors so make sure you dress appropriately for the weather
• The orchard has uneven ground
• Storytelling will take place in the Barn if the weather means we can’t be outdoors. The Barn is only accessible up a flight of stairs
• There are no toilets on site, but there are toilets at the end of our drive in Clarks Village
• Please bring a torch or lantern
• Refreshments will be available to buy (cash only)
• There will be a cider bar on site (cash only)
• The site can only be accessed via Car Park 4 of Clarks Village
• Dogs are welcome (on a lead) but please be aware, this is a traditional Wassail with the firing of a shotgun

What is a Wassail?

A Wassail is an ancient tradition and would normally take place on the old Twelvey Night, which was the date of the Twelfth Night before the UK changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian Calendar following the Calendar Act of 1750.

The ceremony involves singing and drinking to the health of the trees which it is hoped will encourage a good crop and help them thrive.

The word Wassail comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’ which means good health.