| Would One Care to Wassail? |  Musicians, dancers and spectators are invited to do a spot of wassailing at Reddish Vale Country Park on Saturday, 24th October, as part of the annual Apple Day.
There will be a working apple press, apple recipes to sample and take away and apple games. So if you’re an apple person, it’s bound to be your kind of thing.
There will also be folk dancing to watch and join in with and a local wood turner – if you fancy getting the relatives a few hand crafted bowls for Christmas, now’s your chance.
A wassail is a traditional celebration of an orchard and/or apple tree that dates from Saxon times. Participants would drink cider (usually a special variety heated up with mulling spices) from specially made bowls.
After gathering under the largest tree in the orchard evil spirits would be driven away from the trees by the firing of shotguns over the branches, banging of pans and bells, beating of drums and other noisy things. It isn’t clear from the information given, whether firearms will be provided but we suspect not.
The tree would then be toasted, wishing it, and each other ‘Wassail’, a term for good health. Cider or apple juice was poured on the roots and thrown into the branches of the tree and toast or bread tied to the branches, to attract the robin – seen as a guardian of the orchard, and songs sung, accompanied by local musicians.
The object of the exercise (just in case you’re wondering) was to ensure that the trees produced a good crop of apples for the next year.
Reddish Vale Country Park has decided to revive the tradition and are asking for musicians and people who are interested to take part. For further information contact the Visitor Centre on 0161 477 5637, or email Rob.Wakefield@stockport.gov.uk
If you need to practice then a couple of wassailing songs can be found by clicking here.
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