11 places you can take part in the ancient tradition of wassailing in the Bristol area this month

January is the month of the Anglo-Saxon tradition of Wassailing, a celebration thanking the apple trees to promote a good harvest for the coming year.

The word “wassail” comes from the Old English “waes hael” which was borrowed from the Old Norse salutation “ves heill” and means “be in good health” or “be fortunate”.

Wassails are particularly popular in cider-making counties and Bristol has multiple events taking place in the community orchards across the city. 

Here are 11 Wassail events happening in Bristol this month:

Myrtle St. Orchard, Bedminster

Myrtle St. Orchard will be celebrating their Wassail from 2pm to 4pm on SaturdayJanuary 13 with performances by Red Notes Choir and Folk Singer Guy Malkerson as well as poetry by Roy Gallop. There will also be mulled cider and cakes. 

Clevedon Community Orchard

Clevedon Community Orchard will be Wassailing on Saturday January 13 from 2pm. There will be drinking and singing to the health of the trees in the hope that they will provide a bountiful harvest in the autumn. There will also be mulled cider and apple cake. More information can be found here.

Manor Woods Orchard, Bishopsworth

Manor Woods Orchard will be celebrating their Wassail on Sunday January 14 from 2pm with musical entertainment by the wonderful Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Choir and free Manor Woods Valley Orchard apple cake and juice. The event is free and everyone is welcome.

Redcatch Community Garden, Knowle

Redland Community Garden will be celebrating Wassail on Sunday January 14 from 12.30pm to 4.30pm with song and a special Wassail Ceremony. There will be a crown-making workshop from 12.30pm to 1.15pm, tickets for the workshop cost £3 and can be booked here.

Springfield Community Allotments, Knowle

Springfield Community Allotments will be celebrating Wassail on Wednesday January 17 from 4pm to 6.30pm with warm food, warm apple juice and cider, old folklore songs and stories and blessing the fruit trees. Tickets are free and can be booked here. From 1.30pm there will be a singing workshop and the Wassail ritual of pouring cider on the roots of the apple trees, chanting, singing and banging pots and pans to ward off evil spirits will take place. Bridgestow Village Band will be playing from 3pm. Mulled apple, mulled cider and hot food will be available. More information can be found here.

Horfield Organic Community Orchard

On Saturday January 20 from 2pm to 4pm, Horfield Organic Community Orchard will toast for a fruitful harvest. Everyone is welcome to the wassail and participants are encouraged to bring ribbons, clouties and shining things to dress the trees. Homemade cakes and mulled Orchard juice as well as apple trees will be for sale.

Hillfields Community Garden, Fishponds

Hillfields Community Garden will be wassailing on Saturday January 20 from 1pm to 4pm with warmed apple juice, homemade cakes and Morris dancing from Pigsty Morris. Sorrel Wilde will be leading the traditional wassail songs. More information here.

Moorcroft Road / Walnut Barns, Weston-super-Mare

At Weston-Super-Mare, Wassail celebrations on Saturday January 20 will start at 6pm at 15a Moorcroft Road with mulled cider and blessings of the apple trees, and proceed through the village towards Walnut Barn where there will be more mulled cider, apple tree blessings, dancing, music, food and merriment. Tickets cost £10.78 (with booking fees) per adult and £5.39 (with booking fees) per child (up to the age of 12) and can be booked here.

Woodcroft Community Orchard, Brislington

Everyone is welcome to Woodcroft Community Orchard's Wassail on Sunday January 21 from 3pm until dark. There will be singing, live music, tree blessings, Mulled Woodcroft Community Orchard Cider and Apple Juice and some seasonal snacks for sale. Note, that it's a dog-free event. More information can be found here.

Tyntesfield

National Trust house Tyntesfield will celebrate its wassail on Saturday January 27 from 1.30pm to 2.40pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring their noisiest pots and pans to bang to scare away those evil spirits and join in the merriment as they bless the apple trees for a fruitful harvest in the autumn. Singing and dancing will be encouraged by their Bristol-based troop of Morris dancers. Entry to the event is free. More information can be found here.

Sing Wassail! at St Anne's Church, Greenbank

A wassail singing workshop led by Sorrel Wilde and Renee Berkhout at St Anne's Church from 1pm to 5.30pm on Saturday January 27. This workshop is open to everyone, all songs will be taught by ear and word sheets will be available. There will be tea and coffee on donation and half-time biscuits, including dairy and gluten-free. Tickets cost £25 until January 14, and £30 thereafter and can be booked here."