To Wassail or ‘Was-hail’ is the middle English for ‘good-health’ and at fruitfields we’ve been delighted to work with Barnt Green Parish Council to combine their annual winter community walks with a Wassail at fruitfields.
Over sixty intrepid adventurers braved the near freezing and windy conditions on the afternoon of December 27th, 2017 and we were thankful that it was dry.
Despite the wind blowing the gas double burner out, the fire pit saved the day and the pre-warmed mulled cider provided a good alternative to the mulled hot apple juice.
We wished the trees good health to provide a bumper crop of apples in 2018 and to thank them for the 2017 crop. We banged pots and pans to awaken the orchard and ensure any nasty bugs were driven away. Everyone made a good amount of noise following Ges our drummer to hang toast at the bottom of the orchard in the oldest trees.
Toast is traditionally hung to thank the trees for the fruit they have provided, and attract birds to dispatch any nasty bugs.
Fruitfields in the snow at sunset!
Hanging toast in the trees to encourage a good crop and remove any nasty bugs!
Robert & Simon doing a sterling job with the banners and as walk leaders.
Walkers warming up aroud the firepit with glasses of mulled cider and apple juice
We drunk and sung to the health of the apple trees and this included the following wassail verses:
Here’s to thee, old apple tree,
That blooms well, bears well.
Hats full, caps full.
Three bushel bags full,
An’ all under one tree. Hurrah! Hurrah!
Here’s to thee, old apple-tree,
Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow,
And whence thou mayst bear apples enough,
Hats full, caps full,
Bushel, bushel sacks-full.
And my pockets full, too! Hurrah!
Wassail! Wassail! All over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.
Wassaile the trees, that they may beare
You many a Plum and many a Peare:
For more or lesse fruits they will bring
As you do give them Wassailing.
Apple tree prosper, bud, bloom and bear,
That we may have plenty of cider next year.
And when there’s a barrel, we hope there are ten,
That we may have cider when we come again.
Chorus:
With our wassail, wassail, wassail!
Joy come to our jolly wassail!
A-wassail, a-wassail! The Moon, she shines down;
The apples are ripe and the nuts they are brown.
Whence thou mayest bud, dear old apple tree,
And when thou mayest bear, we sing unto thee,
Chorus:
With our wassail, wassail, wassail!
Joy come to our jolly wassail!
Love and joy come to you
And to you your wassail, too
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year and God send you a
Happy New Year!