Orchard Day Wassail - Sat 16 Feb 2019 10am & 2pm

Post date: 15-Feb-2019 19:09:17

Come celebrate Holmewood Orchard with us this Saturday afternoon at 2pm!

 

We're having a traditional Wassail (from the Anglo-Saxon greeting Wæs þu hæl, meaning "be thou hale" or “be in good health”) on Saturday in our orchard in Holmewood Gardens. This is to wake the fruit trees up after winter by singing to them, giving them tributes of cider and hanging toast on their branches and making lots of noise to scare any evil spirits out of them. Then, as is also traditional since medieval times, we drink mulled cider and apple juice together to celebrate the fruits of the orchard. Hopefully we'll have some folk music too.

 It's also a good chance to look at everything we've achieved there in the last few years, whilst chatting to neighbours and continuing to drink hot cider.

 Our work in the park is paying off with it growing richer and more lush each year, and with a good community of neighbours round it. Let's celebrate both on Saturday.

PS Bring something to drink from and anything to help make a big noise - musical instruments, pans and wooden spoons, loud voices, whistles, whatever you've got to make a mighty racket.