'We had a wassail of a time'

1:47pm Tuesday 6th January 2009

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Apple enthusiasts gathered at Shenley Park on Saturday to take part in a ceremony to promote good health for this year’s apple trees.

The wassailing event, now in its fourth year, was held at the Radlett Lane site, where more than 100 participants attended.

Wassailing is the ancient practice of blessing apple orchards to ensure a plentiful crop for the year. The word wassailing hails from the Anglo Saxon greeting “wes hal”, meaning be whole, or be of good health.

Although the origins of the practice are unknown, instances of apple blessings were recorded as early as the 16th Century when groups of young men went between orchards on the Twelfth Night (of Christmas) performing the rituals to ensure a good yield.

The ceremony includes a torch-lit procession towards the apple orchard at sunset where you hang pieces of cider-soaked toast onto a chosen tree, pouring cider around its base and making noises to scare away evil spirits.

This year Radlett choir, the Singing Circle, joined the proceedings and sang old wassailing songs throughout the ceremony.

The apple juice from the orchard is sold at the Orchard Tea Room on the site.

Liz Ensor, from Shenley Park, said: “This year was a really successful event. We had a new twist to proceedings by including the Singing Circle who as well as singing in the ceremony sang in the tea rooms later.

“This year we had a bigger fireworks display and there were a number of children at the event which was great.”