Norton Fitzwarren's Traditional Wassail Cider Ceremony

Wassail meaning ‘be you healthy’ refers to the salute ‘Waes Hail’ and the drink Wassail. Traditionally a ceremony involving drink, dancing and singing, held on twelfth night, the eve of the Epiphany on 6 January. The Epiphany celebrates the son of God, Jesus being visited by the three wise men. The purpose of Wassailing is to awaken the cider apple trees and scare away evil spirts to ensure a good harvest of apples for cider-making in the autumn.

The film depicts an old tradition. Custom has it a Wassail King and Queen will lead a procession through the town and orchards singing, the Queen is then lifted up into the tree to place slices of toast soaked in Wassail made from last year’s apple harvest as a gift to the spirts. Somerset has the tradition of the Apple Tree Man and the spirt of the orchard housed in the oldest tree and when given the gift of wassail the Apple Tree Man reveals buried treasure. The drink Wassail traditionally was made of warmed mead or ale and honey with crab apples and was known as ‘Lambswool’. Modern versions of Wassail include wine, fruit juice, sugar, nutmeg, apples and oranges to which slices of toast are added as sops.