Virtual Wassail Competition 2021 - Vigo Presses Ltd
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Virtual Wassail Competition 2021

This year has put a halt on many events, including many nationwide wassail events. However, there's no reason why you can't throw a wassail at home.

What is a Wassail?

Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition that has been practised in Britain for centuries. It has its roots in a pagan custom of visiting orchards to sing to the trees and spirits in the hope of ensuring a good harvest the following season. During the visit a communal wassail bowl – filled with a warm spiced cider, perry or ale – would be shared amongst revellers.

What to expect at a Wassail

Appoint a wassail queen

Assemble your party around a tree and get your queen to put toasted bread soaked in cider, in the branches. This is for local robins to feast on.

Pour cider on the roots of the tree.

Sing the wassail song.

At this stage it is customary to fire shotguns through the branches of a tree! You can also bash pots and pans, bang tambourines and generally make as much noise as you can as a substitutes.

A Wassail Song

Old apple tree, we wassail thee, And hoping thou wilt bear For the Lord doth know where we shall be Till apples come another year. For to bear well, and to bear well So merry let us be. Let every man take off his hat, And shout to the old apple tree! Old apple tree, we wassail thee, And hoping thou wilt bear Hatfuls, capfuls, three bushel bagfuls And a little heap under the stairs Hip! Hip! Hooray!

How to enter:

To be in with a chance of winning some of our Courtney's Cider, send us in your photos or videos of you at home wassailing!

Whether that's a wassail song, a simple cider toast or even you and the family banging some pots and pans, we would love to see your take on a Apple Wassail.

To send in your photos or videos, please reply to this email. Our favourite entry will win 1 x Courtney's Traditional Cider Gift Box (3 x 500ml Bottles).

Please send your entry to amy@vigopresses.co.uk

T&Cs: Entry ends 01.02.21. You must be 18 years + and a UK resident to enter.

What to drink at a Wassail

It is traditional to drink cider and apple juice at a Wassail event. To get stocked up, why not view our cider and juice range?

Courtney's Drinks - Check out our cider and juice range

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