Wassailing . . . in Hackney???

Since 2011 a group has been wassailing the fruit trees in the community orchards of Hackney

2025 Wassail – Sunday January 12th

The 2025 Hackney Wassail is planned for Sunday January 12th. Put it in your diary now and come back here for more details nearer the day. You can subscribe to our mailing list to keep updated.

2024 Wassail

The 2024 Hackney Wassail was held on Sunday January 14th. The orchards of Hackney Downs, Millfields and Springfield Park were all wassailed. There was strolling, singing, tree libations, fine company and a mulled beverage or two. It was our biggest turnout yet - seventy or so wassailers at each orchard. Fantastic! Kind donations covered the event's costs and raised a further £150 for the North London Action for the Homeless with a further £37.50 from Giftaid.

A reminder of past wassails

Here's a slideshow (Photographs © David Hoffman) compiled with pictures from past years, with an audio recording made under the horseshoe railway bridge on the canal towpath.
You can see David's complete gallery of wassailing photographs here

Wassailing in Hackney. A pre-Christian traditional ceremony held on the old 12th night of 17 January and stemming from an Anglo-Saxon pagan ritual visiting the apple trees and leaving them libations of cider and cider soaked toast to encourage their fertility next year.

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Calling all Hackney based Wassailing Wannabes!

If you’re a little unacquainted with the concept of Wassailing, don’t worry, it’s not a weird insult, and we’re not asking you to join a cult.

Wassailing refers to an old school tradition, somewhere between a ramble and a harvest ritual. Wassail or ‘was hael’ means ‘be well’. In times past, people sang and drank to the health of their fruit trees to ensure a good harvest, usually on the old 12th night.

Wassailers walked from one orchard to the next, circling the ‘king’ tree, singing traditional wassail songs. Toast soaked in cider from a special wassail cup was put in the tree’s branches. This gift represents the fruit the tree bore the previous year, given to the spirits of the tree in the form of robins.

How can you join the Hackney Wassail?

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a Wassailing-virgin, the more the merrier for this fun Sunday activity.

As you may have guessed, orchards are pretty sparse in Hackney, so you’ll be making do with the community orchards in our urban parks! The Hackney Wassail doesn’t include a traditional bonfire, but there will be plenty of fun, jolliness and singing to keep you warm!

Come for the whole wassail, or join at one of the orchards.

 

You can see location of the orchards here