Wassailing

This afternoon we attended Kilmersdon Wassailing - a tradition which has been practised in Britain for centuries.  It has its roots in a pagan custom of visiting the orchards to sing to the trees and spirits in the hope of ensuring a good harvest the following season.

Kilmersdon ceremony today was accompanied by the village band the Wassail Queen and a gathering of Morrismen - and most importantly 
the feeding of toast for the robin guardian of the tree and cider for the 
tree itself with a volley of gunshots into the air and the drinking of the cider from the two handled Wassail Cup - but due to COVID restrictions the toast was drunk from individual little disposal cups provided by Martin and his wife Frances (you can see the little cups in the extra) and of course the singing of the incantation -  it was a great afternoon a little bit of normality in the very different world that we live in today.