Greetings all! 2023 is well underway here at Real Good Cider HQ and we can't wait to share our developments with you over the year ahead. For now though we wanted to tell you about the infamous cider ritual WASSAIL and how we got involved...
Some of you may not know what the heck we're on about...what is this strange word? WASSAIL!* refers to the ancient English custom of visiting cider orchards (now you see why we’re excited), reciting incantations and singing to the trees to a) banish/scare off evil spirits and b) bless the trees to promote a generous harvest. The word itself translates to 'Be Well'.
*(sounds like: WO-SAYL) – it’s better to think of it as a statement, or battle cry. Try it now, shout WASSAIL! with your fist in the air… invigorating right?
WASSAIL falls on the Twelfth Night - Jan 5th this year - and you can bet your cider apples we didn't miss it! Joining an earnest crowd at our friend Richard's orchard in Pewsey we took part in songs and poetry aplenty. It was a night to make the apples proud! Check out this video of the amazing Pewsey choir singing DRINK UP THEE ZIDER - ... perfectly encapsulating the spirit of WASSAIL! As the song says... 'There's nothing like more zider, to make thee smile grow wider'! We couldn't agree more!
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