Every January, in orchards from Kent to Herefordshire, small groups of people walk out after dark carrying lanterns, a jug of warm cider and a slice of toast. They gather round the oldest apple tree, sing to it, pour cider over its roots, then make as much noise as they can. It looks eccentric. It is also one of the oldest and most cheerful pieces of British orchard folklore still practised — and you can do it yourself, whether you have three trees at the end of a garden or three hundred in a community orchard.

When and Why We Wassail

Wassailing happens on Twelfth Night: the evening of 5 January, or the day itself on 6 January, depending on local habit. Some orchards keep Old Twelfth Night on 17 January, which is Twelfth Night by the Julian calendar. In Somerset and Sussex especially, you will find both dates observed within a few miles of each other, so check locally before you turn up with a lantern.

The word comes from the Old English greeting wes hail — "be in good health". By the medieval period a wassail was a toast: a cup of spiced ale passed round with good wishes. Two customs grew out of it. House wassailing, where singers went door to door with a bowl, and orchard wassailing, where the health of the trees was drunk instead. The orchard version is what people mean today. The aim is simple enough: wake the trees, flatter them, thank them for last year's crop and ask for another one in the autumn.

What You'll Need

Not much, and most of it is already in the kitchen.

• A good apple tree — the oldest in the orchard, or simply one you are fond of.
• Cider or apple juice, warmed gently with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a spoonful of honey or brown sugar.
• A slice of bread or toast, to soak in the cider.
• A mug for each person, and a jug or bowl to pour from.
• Lanterns. Battery ones are kinder to a dry orchard than open flame.
• Something to make a noise with: saucepans and wooden spoons, a drum, rattles, whistles, a stick run along a gate.
• The words of a verse or two, and someone brave enough to start the singing.

If children or non-drinkers are joining, keep a pan of spiced apple juice separate from the cider and tell people which is which. Wassailing is a family custom in many villages, and nobody should be left holding an empty mug.

How to Wassail an Apple Tree, Step by Step

1. Choose your tree — and ask first. The oldest tree is traditional, but any healthy cropper will do. If the orchard is not yours, ask the owner, the parish council or the community trust. Most are delighted, and some will lend you the key to the gate.
2. Set a date and gather your people. Just after dark on 5 or 6 January suits most. A dozen is plenty; three is plenty. Tell everyone to wear wellingtons and bring a torch.
3. Warm the wassail slowly. Heat the cider with the spices until it steams, but do not let it boil, or you lose both the alcohol and the flavour. Pour it into a thermos or a lidded pan for the walk.
4. Process to the tree. Walk out together with the lanterns, singing on the way. The procession is half the point.
5. Greet the tree, then sing. One person leads, everyone joins the chorus. Two verses, sung three times, is ample.
6. Make the offering. Dip the toast in cider and tuck it into the fork of the tree — never nail it on or tie tight bands round a branch, which damages the bark. Pour the last of the cider round the roots.
7. Wake the tree with noise. Bang the pans, blow the whistles, shout "wassail!" three times. Then stop, and let the orchard go quiet again. That silence is often the best part.

Songs, Verses and the Shout

A verse to learn

The best-known verse comes from the Somerset orchards and works perfectly well anywhere. Sing it to any tune that fits; most wassail songs sit on five or six notes, so a group of non-singers can pick one up in a couple of goes.

Here's to thee, old apple tree,
Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow,
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!
Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel, bushel sacks full!
And my pockets full too! Huzza!

Print the words on paper and hand them out. Shorter is better than longer, and a shouted chorus of "Huzza!" covers a multitude of uncertain notes.

The call and response

The traditional exchange is simple: the wassailers cry "Wassail!" and the rest answer "Drink hail!" Use it as a greeting at the tree, as a toast when the mugs are filled, and as a way of ending the singing without anyone having to decide when to stop.

The Toast, the Cider and the Wassail Bowl

The old wass

Photo: bohacekmarek / Pixabay