Join Wassailers to help create a bumper apple crop at The Apple Farm, Afton Park, in Freshwater on Saturday 14th January 2012.
Wassailing is the pagan fertility ceremony and has been celebrated in England since the 1400′s, this ancient custom normally takes place on Twelfth Night. Intended to begin the process of waking the fruit trees from their winter slumber and to exhort apple trees to fruit well the following season by frightening away any evil spirits, it is the first fertility festival of the folk calendar.
Just before dark all clutching a cup of hot mulled apple juice or cider, we go down to the trees and place toast soaked in cider in the branches for the robin and pour cider onto the roots to ward off evil spirits. Everyone joins in the tree Wassail song. Finally making as much noise as we could muster with large sticks drums, pots, pans and whistles to frighten away any evil spirits .
We finish off the evening with some singing, hot food and warm drinks. 14/01/2012 6:00 pm
The Apple Farm, Afton Park, Newport Road, Freshwater,
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