Copy of Alwoodley Community Orchard Wassail

We have two young orchard in Alwoodley so we thought we'd revive the wassailing tradition to bless them and encourage a bountiful harvest this summer! We will meet in the car park on king lane and parade with noise makers and instruments down to the orchard. We'll provide apple juice. Please bring cakes and treats to share with each other. We encourage bedecking yourself natural items like ivy and crowns of flowers. But no pressure! Here's a video from last year. Alwoodley 2030: Climate Action Hub - Alwoodley Orchardists

"Historically, wassailing took many different forms, depending on local tradition. Revellers typically visited local orchards and fruit trees, sang songs, made a hullabaloo (often by banging pots and pans) and were rewarded by the orchard’s grateful owner with some form of warm, spiced alcoholic drink from a communal wassail bowl or cup. Sometimes a topping of apple, known as ‘lamb's wool’, would be added."(source: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/art-collections/wassailing-ritual-and-revelry#rt-wassail-bowls-from-suppression-to-resurgence).

If you have ideas or talents please join our planning discussion on Wednesday 10th Jan at 7pm over zoom. Register for that here. https://www.alwoodley2030.org/events. For example, can you lead wassailing songs? Can you bring insturments or noisemakers? Do you have a poem or can you write one to bless the trees? Is there another wassailing tradition you'd like to revivie? do you have a Wassailing bowl?

Host or Publisher Alwoodley 2030: Climate Action