Wassailing

Wassailing in Springfield Park, Hackney. A sunny day in mid winter with cakes and much mulled cider.

A pre-Christian traditional ceremony held on the old 12th night of 17 January and stemming from an Anglo-Saxon pagan ritual of visiting your apple trees and leaving them libations of cider and cider soaked toast to encourage their fertility next year.

The trees only got a mug each but we polished off gallons afterwards. Off for a little lie down now.

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