Celebrate the new year with the medieval ritual of wassailing – an ancient tradition of drinking and singing to help ensure a good cider apple harvest.
Originating from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’, wassailing falls into two categories: visiting an orchard, carolling and reciting incantations to promote good bounty, or (less recommended in present-day Cambridge) going door-to-door, singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts.
Join the fun at Trumpington Community Orchard on 12 January, where there will be a wassail celebration complete with music, wassail carols, dancing and mulled apple juice between 2.30 and 5.30pm.