Bodmin Wassail!

Do you wassail? 

In modern tradition (see also here), Twelfth Night is considered the last day of Christmas and was once one of the big festive celebrations. In my native Cornwall, the town of Bodmin always boasted an excellent 'Visit Wassail', where groups of singers carry a bowl full of a specially made drink - usually mulled cider - and visit homes and businesses to celebrate the occasion.

In other places, people would be wassailing in the orchards - making a sacrifice of bread and cider to the trees to ensure a good harvest come Autumn. I wassailed my own apple trees last year and wrote about it here.

   

Each town or village has its own version of the Wassail song but, in Bodmin, there are actually three songs. The Wassailers spend nearly all of Twelfth Night performing in homes, pubs and other places to raise money for charity. The Bodmin Wassail was first recorded in 1624, meaning that it is one of the oldest celebrations of its kind in Cornwall.

   

Website of the Bodmin Wassailers is here.