At the heart of English tradition lies wassailing, an ancient and joyful custom that marks the New Year with blessings, music, and communal cheer. Rooted in folklore and evolving through centuries, wassailing continues to thrive, connecting communities with their past and the land that sustains them.
What is Wassailing?
The word wassail comes from the Old English toast waes hael, meaning ‘be well’ or ‘be in good health,’ to which the traditional reply was drink hael – ‘drink well.’ Originally, this greeting was shared at the turn of the year, as lords of the manor offered good wishes to their followers, and the assembled community celebrated with hearty drinks and songs. Over time, wassailing became a symbol of hope and gratitude, embracing both community spirit and the cycles of nature.
House Wassailing and Carolling
One form of wassailing involved groups of revellers moving from house to house, carrying a wassail bowl filled with a warming drink of ale, wine, or cider spiced with honey and eggs. These visits were a mix of merriment and charity, with wassailers singing blessings and receiving food or money in return. Sound familiar? This tradition evolved into modern-day Christmas carolling, with echoes of its origins still found in festive songs like We Wish You a Merry Christmas: ‘Now bring us some figgy pudding…and we won’t go until we’ve got some!’
Orchard Wassailing: Blessing the Trees
The second form of wassailing, still widely practiced today, focuses on blessing fruit trees – particularly apple trees – to ensure a fruitful harvest. Popular in cider-producing regions such as Somerset, Herefordshire, Kent, and Sussex, these ceremonies blend ritual and revelry.
On ‘Old Twelvey’, the Sunday closest to the 17th January, villagers gather in orchards led by a Wassail King and Queen. The Queen places a piece of wassail (hot mulled cider)-soaked toast in the branches of the finest tree as an offering to the tree spirits, accompanied by traditional songs like:
‘Apple tree, apple tree, we all come to wassail thee,
Bear this year and next year to bloom and blow,
Hat fulls, cap fulls, three-cornered sack fulls…’
The celebration crescendos with a cacophony of sound – pots and pans are banged, songs are sung to awaken the trees and scare off any lurking malevolent spirits. In Sussex and Kent, the loud noise of the ceremony led it to be called ‘Apple Howling’ or ‘Apple Yowling’.
In some areas, even the farm animals were wassailed. The filled bowl was carried round the stables and byres and the best of the animals, named in a song, were sprinkled with cider using a sprig of rosemary. This was to ensure calves and foals for the coming year, as well as a good grain harvest.
The wassailers would then retire to the farmhouse to make a similar wish for the farmer and his family and would be rewarded with yet more cider and ale. Another part of the tradition was to make a wassail cake. Below is a traditional wassail cake recipe that we use for the Museum celebrations.
A Timeless Tradition
The reason for Wassailing the orchards was to ensure a plentiful supply of cider. At the time, it was the duty of every farmer to always supply drink for his workers. This ranged from very weak brews for everyday consumption, to the strong ales brewed for special occasions like the Harvest Supper, the end of sheep-shearing and for Christmas. Where there were no apple trees, farmers had to supply beer or ale to their workers which was much more expensive. Therefore, where possible, they gave cider so that the barley could be sold, and the farm would prosper.
Wassailing also reflects a deep connection to the land and the changing seasons. It is a custom that has adapted over time while retaining its core message of health, prosperity, and community.
Experience Wassailing at the Weald & Downland Living Museum
Join us as we celebrate the rich folklore of wassailing at the Weald & Downland Living Museum. Experience the traditions of song, procession, and festivity that connect us to centuries-old customs and the natural rhythms of the year.
Come along and join a procession, with music, songs and short performances, to the orchard for the wassail to ensure a good harvest. An apple tree will be decorated – there is a ceremony with bread, salt and mulled apple juice, where you can join in with the ‘Wassail’ shout and makes lots of noise with bells, rattles or whistles.
Here at Weald & Downland Living Museum, we bring the traditional rhythms of the Ritual Year to life, and Advent marks the beginning of a truly special season. Through our collection of historic buildings, spanning from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Victorian era, we offer a glimpse into how people of the past prepared for and celebrated this time of anticipation and reflection.
From marking Feast Days to preparing seasonal foods, we embrace the customs that shaped life during this period. Our team demonstrates traditional practices like preserving and cooking with winter ingredients stored during the autumn, crafting decorations, and exploring the rich customs tied to the Ritual Year.
A visit to the Museum offers a step back in time to experience the beauty, challenges, and traditions of Advent as they were celebrated in centuries past. Discover how people waited and prepared, drawing on both faith and practical wisdom to guide them through the darkest days of the year.
To find out how we’re marking the season, explore our festive events and activities, and see how you can take part in practicing the Ritual Year, visit our What’s On page!
Waes hael!
Wassail Cake
Original recipe by Marjorie Clarke
(Used for the Sompting Village Morris Wassailing)
Ingredients:
225g eating apples
110g raisins
225g cider
170g butter
100g (4 tbsp) honey
4 medium eggs (approx 190g egg white & yolk)
200g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
Method:
Grease and line an 18cm square baking tin, or similar.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Put the raisins in a saucepan, cover with the cider, bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
Add the apple pieces to the cider and raisins, and allow to cool while you continue.
Cream the butter and honey then gradually add the beaten egg. If it starts to curdle, add a little of the flour.
Sieve together the flour and baking powder.
Add half the flour to the batter, and combine.
Add half the cider mixture to the batter, and combine.
Add the other half of the flour and fold in.
Add the rest of the cider mix and carefully combine, until the mixture is uniformly mixed, but not over-mixed.
Pour the mix into the tin.
Bake for about an hour, or until risen and firm.
