Wassail St Ives 2022

There was a brilliant turnout last Saturday at the St Ives Community Orchard to celebrate the mid-winter Wassail. So wonderful to see so many people in the orchard having a fabulous time and enjoying this ancient tradition that has now been firmly revived. The Wassail is a noisy and lively ritual that serves to shake out the last of the darkness from within the trees and to well and truly wake them from their winter slumber before wishing them a healthy and fruitful season ahead.

Master of Ceremonies, Neil Scott led the blessing of the trees, passed around the special Wassail bowl full of cider and encouraged much shouting of ‘Huzzah’ which means ‘cheers’ in Cornish and Wassail which means ‘Good Health’. As tradition dictates, pieces of toast were handed out and people dipped them into the cider before hanging them in the trees and a Wassail song was also sung around the tree.

Raffidy Dumitz played the kafoozalem tune especially for the Wassail dance, performed by ten of the orchard’s regular volunteers who had made up the Morris-inspired dance themselves and really looked the part in ‘tatters’ that they had sewn up from recycled fabric.

The Raffidy Dumitz Band, a Cornish Traditional Music Street Band, based largely in Penzance, came over with 20 members of the group to the St Ives orchard for the first time and played some wonderful traditional tunes.  One of the members, and Gaffer of the Band, Tom Jane said “Wassailing is an important tradition in Cornwall and we were delighted to be invited to support the Orchard with our music. We all had a fantastic afternoon with much merriment, dancing, noise making, delicious food and warm mulled cider. It was a very special event to be part of. We’ll definitely be up for coming again next year!”

After the dance and blessing, the Green Man in a long tassly cloak then led everyone on a merry walk around the orchard forming a long line of people playing instruments, drums, pots and spoons to awaken the trees and then ending up at the bonfire, which was then ceremonially lit. Music continued and there was more dancing around the fire.

St Ives’s local Samba bands also brought a great energy to the event and an ensemble of musicians, some who regularly perform in the orchard and quite a few new musicians, played around the fireplace well into the evening as the light faded.

Prior to the Wassail, St Ives Community Foodshare held a lantern workshop at St John’s Hall and those in the workshop created beautiful lanterns which were hung up around the orchard. Foodshare also provided the ingredients for a huge pot of vegetable curry which was cooked up by John Tyson. It was heated over the fire in a large cast-iron pot and shared out amongst all, asking only for donations in return.  The bar was open with mulled cider and mulled apple juice – they very quickly ran out of large quantities of cider!

A wonderful community event enjoyed by all in the beautiful setting of the orchard lit up with lanterns, fairy and festoon lights. Elise Langley, event organiser said “So wonderful to see so many musicians in the orchard and people dancing amongst the trees and so much fun reviving old customs in our own unique way. ” Neil Scott added, “The Wassail really did connect – not just the wonderful people in our community, but a deeper connection with this place, this orchard, these trees, this ecosystem at this particular time. It’s a delight and a privilege to be a part of that connection through such traditional, mischievous and delightful rituals!”

Alban from St Ives Community TV created this film of the event which certainly captures the great spirit of the event and includes some incredible drone footage.

A wonderful way for us to remember the Wassail St Ives 2022, thank you Alban.

Watch how they used to Wassail back in 1927, glad we’ve replaced gun shots with music.

Thanks also to Freya Cotterill who created this beautiful poster for the event.

See a film of the dance and procession on facebook //fb.watch/aLlxKLycBM/