Picking The Right Apple

Plant an apple tree and you can join in the January wassail, says Tamsin Westhorpe

- Tamsin Westhorpe

LIVING in rural Herefordshire, where orchards and cider making are so much part of the community, I have become transfixed by the customs linked to apple trees and orchards.

January is the month not only to plant trees, but also for wassailing. This is an ancient custom that is performed to bring health to the cider crop. The Morris Men of my local market town have been wassailing in and around Herefordshire for the past 40 years. To find out more, I spoke to Mark Carter of Leominster Morris Men.

“Fires are lit in an orchard, and the assembled sing to the trees and make plenty of noise to drive the evil spirits away,” Mark explained. “Plenty of professional cider makers come to the Leominster Morris wassail hoping that the magic rubs off on their cider.

“Wassailing is the perfect excuse for a party with friends. Choose a January evening with clear skies and a bright moon and hunt down some wassailing songs online,” added Mark.

I love the idea that even those of us with just one or two apple trees could latch on to this custom.

Decisions, decisions