Brian Hunt at The Bridge Folk Club - Apple Tree Wassail (Trad)

Brian Hunt at The Bridge Folk Club, 16 December 2024
Apple Tree Wassail (Trad)
Wassailing can happen at almost any time during the middle of the winter but it is most closely associated with the extended Christmas season, particularly around New Year and Twelfth Night. Some folk believe that the most traditional and important date is old twelfth night, 17 January. It’s called old twelfth night to differentiate it from that new-fangled one (either 5 January or 6 January) we’ve had since 1752, when the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar
It is an ancient tradition, known as far back as the 1100s in England and quite possibly with origins in Anglo-Saxon times. It takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon toast ‘waes hael’, meaning ‘be in good health’
The basic idea of wassailing is quite general, to wish everyone a healthy time in the year to come, but it has become particularly associated with scaring evil spirits away from apple trees to ensure a good harvest during the following autumn season, hence the title of this song

[@sandramorey2529]

Beautiful. I love all th variants to this Wassail. I also love that this audience is so versed in harmony singing. Gorgeous.

[@Bridge_Folk_Club]

Thanks, Sandra. It isn’t ONLY wassailing songs that get us going at The Bridge but that was a terrific one to join in with