EEEEC: Ailith Ward Wassailing an Orchard
Ailith shares this entry where they, Eryl, Astrid Sudeying, and Emrys Grenelef undertook Wassailing an Orchard under the categories of Participation and Collaboration
On the 19th of July the four of us went wassailing in Eryl’s orchard to encourage a better crop for next year.
Traditionally wassailing in the country was often done on the 5th or the 19th of January just after dinner, near dusk. Pots were banged to scare off malicious spirits or fairies, trees were yelled at and threated into producing even better, and the same trees were wheedled and complimented for the same reason. Food and drink was shared with them. Every village had a different way of wassailing their orchards. In the towns and cities wassailing was a lot like carolling, where groups of poorer folks would go wassailing at peoples doors to bless the home and those within it, and in return the groups would receive food and drink.
We chose the 19th of July for our antics, though for various health reasons we went wassailing after lunch, instead of dinner. We made two wassails, one of cider and one of apple juice, since most of us had to drive home afterwards. The basic recipe for both was to heat the liquid through, adding sugar, chopped apple, orange, and ginger, crushed nutmeg and cinnamon, and whole cloves, all to taste.
We trekked out into the orchid with tankards full of wassail, and blessed every tree, sharing a sip of our drinks with each. Some of the larger trees we sang to, and some we even capered around, ringing bells to attract friendly spirits while driving off any mischievous ones.
