Trust Links Wassailing

Join Trust Links at their annual celebration of nature and community, where they sing songs and awaken the trees ready for spring, taking place on Sunday 21st January 2024 at St Laurence Orchard.

What is Wassailing?
A wassail is a blessing which means ‘Be of good health’ derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Waes Hael’. An Apple Orchard Wassailing is a blessing for the New Year to scare away any evil spirits that would harm the trees and prevent them from bearing a full crop the next year.

A crowd assembles as much banging of pots, loud singing, dancing and playing musical instruments help to make the ceremony more meaningful and spectacular. Then everyone may share a toast to the trees. Toasted bread is then tied to the trees to tempt the birds back into the orchard to help fertilise the trees once again.