Wassailing

Standing in the middle of a field drinking cider isn’t just reserved for festival-goers in the summer; in fact, January is just the time to pick up your drinking vessels, sip some apple nectar, and join together for some traditional Wassailing. 

What is Wassailing? It’s an ancient ritual carried out in the orchards to help promote a healthy apple harvest the next year. Songs are sung, hot mulled cider (Wassail) is drunk, a din is made with the aim of scaring away bad spirits, and bread is thrown at the trees. Unusual? Yes. Good fun? Definitely.

One such place where you can go Wassailing is St Mary’s Field, in the heart of Bridport. It’s here in the Orchard that every year, the Bridport Community Orchard Group— a wonderful community allotment project —  hold their Wassailing event, which sees a gathering of people come together to drink, sing, and dance to the health of the trees. This year, the event is on Sunday 21 January, at 3pm. 

To the event, you’re invited to bring drums, trumpets, whistles, or indeed, anything that makes a noise, to scare off the bad spirits. Why? Jill Lloyd, Chair of the Bridport Community Orchard Group explains: “The aim was to frighten the evil spirits away from the trees, and hope for a good crop. Based on the scientific fact (modern knowledge!) that the codling moth insects moved up the trunk during the winter, and then settled in the new buds.” Another part of the Wassailing tradition is to dip bread in cider and throw it to the trees, which sounds bizarre, but again there is method behind the madness: “Yes, a bit crazy, isn’t it?” Says Jill, but, “The bread attracts birds, who then eat the codling moth grubs.”

Rooted in ancient tradition, this mid-winter festival not only serves a practical purpose within the orchard, but is also “a great opportunity to drink cider and have fun”. And fun there will be as singing and dancing will be led, once again, by Wyld Morris, the Dance group from Monkton Wyld, who will also perform their traditional Morris dances.

Does the BCOG have their own Wassailing songs, or are traditional ones used? “The songs are all traditional”, says Jill. “I googled ‘wassail’ ten years ago, we selected some, a local singing group led us, we had song sheets printed, and use them every year.”

Sounds like a great get-together, and kids, especially, must love being told to make as much noise as possible! Wassailing words will flow from renowned storyteller, Martin Maudsley who, Jill confirms, has, “Kindly agreed to lead the ceremony, and will, as usual, come up with a fun and whacky session!”

Does the whole community get involved in Wassailing? “Yes, indeed.” Says Jill: “It is a free event, we serve our own hot apple juice, and just ask for donations. Two local cider makers, Dorset nectar and West Milton Cider, kindly come and sell their cider. We also have a fire bowl alight which people gather round with a glass. Children are welcome (and dogs too!). Everyone can join in the singing, and the ‘ceremony’ led by Martin, always involves everyone, as does the putting the bread into the trees.

“The crowd is usually well over a hundred, whatever the weather. Amazing how Bridport people will turn out even on a cold, wet Sunday afternoon in January, to stand in a field, sing, and throw bread into trees!”

Event: 3pm, Sunday 21 January, St Mary’s Field, Bridport — don’t forget your noise makers!

For more information on Bridport Community Orchard, visit: www.bridportcommunityorchard.org.uk

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