When was the last time you considered the journey and life cycle of the food product you are about to consume? Where was it grown? What were the names of the workers who picked it and processed it? And how did it end up on my plate in front of me?
In modern Britain, we are increasingly becoming disconnected from the sources and lifecycles of our food. By looking at the past and cultural traditions, we can rediscover the benefits of being connected to our food sources. Traditions like Wassailing offer a powerful reminder of the deep ties between people, land, and local food production.
Wassailing is an ancient practice, steeped in folklore and ritual, that has found renewed relevance in our desire for connected communities and modern agricultural challenges. By reviving and adapting these traditions, communities can foster a stronger connection with food production.
What is Wassailing?
Wassailing dates back centuries and is believed to have originated in Anglo-Saxon England. The term itself comes from the Old English phrase “waes hael,” meaning “be well” or “good health.” Traditionally, wassailing took two main forms, house-to-house carolling, which evolved into the modern Christmas tradition, and orchard Wassailing, which involved blessing fruit trees and expelling bad spirits to ensure a full harvest.
Orchard Wassailing typically occurs in mid-January, when fruit trees are most dormant. The custom involves pouring cider onto tree roots, hanging cider-soaked toast in branches, and singing traditional songs to awaken the trees from their slumber. People bang pots and pans to drive away evil spirits, ensuring the orchard remains productive and healthy. The origins of ritual Wassailing reflected a time when communities had a direct, spiritual connection to their food sources, understanding that nature needed care, respect, and encouragement to flourish.
A Modern Take on Wassailing
While few today believe in spirits lurking in orchards, the threats to fruit production have evolved into something just as menacing. Climate change, habitat destruction, and unsustainable farming practices. Modern wassailing embraces the spirit of the tradition while raising awareness of these pressing environmental issues. It teaches us to keep an eye on our landscape and tune in to the health of the environment around us.
Community orchards across the UK and beyond have revived Wassailing as an opportunity to bring people together and reconnect them with their food. Instead of warding off supernatural omens, today’s Wassailers can highlight the dangers of pesticide overuse, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. By celebrating trees and their role in local food and cider production, wassailing helps foster an appreciation for agroecology, sustainable farming, and regenerative agriculture.
We connected with Robert Levy from Colwall Orchard on their successful annual wassail and why it may be as relevant today as it was a thousand years ago.
Robert Celebrating Colwall Orchard’s 2025 Wassail
Sat in the Colwall Orchard Classroom which serves as a tearoom and apple processing warehouse during harvest, Robert describes how wassailing fosters a sense of community while also reconnecting people with the land. As he explains, it is “very much a community thing.” While the modern tradition is primarily about celebration, he notes, “Of course, modern Wassailing’s primary role is for fun, a community get-together, to celebrate the area and community you live in and sample local cider.” However, he highlights its more profound significance, adding, “Wassail connects people to food production or, at the very least, makes them think about it.”
Robert discusses that reviving and maintaining traditions like Wassailing offers multiple benefits. First, it strengthens community bonds, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds in a shared celebration. These gatherings create a sense of place and identity, “reminding people that food production is not just about supermarket shelves but about living landscapes that require care and commitment”.
Robert says, “Wassailing is not just about the apples; it’s about the orchard and everything that the orchard is.”
In our conversation, we discussed how Wassailing highlights the importance of local food networks. By celebrating fruit trees and orchards, people are encouraged to think more critically about where their food comes from and the challenges faced by small-scale growers. Worcestershire and Herefordshire are famed for their small-scale food producers, but that does not mean they do not need support from their community. A Wassail offers a focal point for reflecting on the health of the environment and the community, helping people recognise the hardships and challenges faced by food producers. Robert discusses how a modern Wassail reveals to the community “bad omens of the orchard, although these today are probably pesticides and climate change and not spirits in the trees.”
But as Robert points out, a Wassail brings people together and sparks conversations, fostering the environmental and social awareness that is needed more than ever in modern rural Britain.
Modern Wassailing “protects the community space,” Robert concludes. He highlights the significance of celebrating a tree you planted 15 or 20 years ago, one that now bears fruit for the local community. Even if it is only for cider! It remains a powerful metaphor for what we should strive for in our local food network.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
For those looking to get involved, many community orchards and environmental groups now host Wassailing events. These celebrations often include storytelling, music, cider tasting, and discussions on challenges in your local food network. Whether through organised gatherings or small family traditions, participating in Wassailing is a simple yet meaningful way to reconnect with food production and the natural world.
In a time when food systems are under increasing pressure, the lessons of Wassailing are more relevant than ever. By blending ancient traditions with modern awareness, we can foster stronger communities, protect our local food sources, and ensure that the land continues to nourish us for generations to come.
So this early Spring, grab a pot and a wooden spoon, pour a little cider on an apple tree’s roots, and maybe into your own cup! And have a renewed appreciation for the food on our tables provided by the landscapes and workers that sustain us.
We want to thank Robert Levy for his insights on modern Wassailing and to Colwall Orchard.
Interview and article written by Eddie James for Tasting the Future
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