Horton Kirby Wassailing ceremony

Parade into the orchard with the wassail king & queen at the front of the parade - wearing ivy crowns with golden nut for good luck! Singing Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green. Here we come a-wandering so fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you. And to you your wassail too. And we bless you and send you A happy New Year. And we send you a happy New Year.

Choose the biggest & strongest looking tree - this tree represents all the other trees in the orchard – The grand old apple tree Notes: Get the children to choose this tree. When arrive at tree get group into a circle around the tree. Wake up the tree by all chanting the wake up rhyme. This is because the tree spirits have fallen asleep for the winter. Grand old apple tree, We will wassail thee In hope that you will bring Fruit to us this spring.

Wassail Queen sprinkles wassail onto the roots of the tree whilst the Wassail King says these words. We anoint thine roots Great bearer of the apple fruit May you bring forth great blossom We wish you good health And fruits of great wealth Throughout the year to come! Notes Needed: Bowl with wassail & wooden spoon. Words of king to read. This is to bring the roots good health and encourage growth.

Everyone ‘hints’ to the tree that they would like lots of apples by walking around the tree pretending to be carrying a heavy basket full. Toast is hung onto several branches of the tree by members of the Wassail group. This is to encourage the good spirits to visit the tree in the form of Robins. These good spirits will help the tree with producing plenty of fruit. Notes Hang toast by putting small holes into each bit!

Wassailing song is sung to the tree by all members of the group. ‘Wassailing around the apple tree, the apple tree, the apple tree Wassailing around the apple tree, on a cold winter’s morning.’ ‘We Sprinkle wassail on the roots, on the roots, on the roots We sprinkle wassail on the roots and ask the tree to grow well.’ ‘We hang the toast upon the tree, upon the tree, upon the tree We hang the toast upon the tree, to welcome home good spirits’ ‘We clap and shout around the tree, around the tree, around the tree We clap and shout around the tree, to frighten off bad spirits. ‘

All members of the group are given a cup of wassail, the greeting of WASSAIL is said by everyone to the tree and again to their neighbours clinking of glasses etc and then the wassail is drunk. Notes Flasks of wassail given to each adult Cups given out to each child Remind children not to start until everyone has said their greeting. Everyone shouts & claps and makes as much noise as possible before leaving the orchard. This is to scare away the bad spirits.