A winter holiday where you drink cider, make wishes, and sing to the trees? Count me in!
Please note: this event takes place in two parts at two different locations. You will have to drive between locations (carpooling can be arranged). You are welcome to join just one or both parts!
Part One: The Wassail*
@ Long Hill Reservation (Beverly, MA)
We’ll enjoy hot mulled cider together in the orchard as we learn traditional wassailing songs. There will be a group offering followed by guided self-reflection and a ritual to connect with the trees while setting personal intentions for the coming season.
*What is a wassail? Scroll to the bottom of the event for more info!
Part Two: Crafts & Craft Cider
@ Far From the Tree (Salem, MA)
Far From the Tree Cider taproom is so kind to host us for post-wassail socializing while we craft our own sustainable bird feeders, which participants can take home and offer to wildlife to help them through the winter! (Hard cider and non-alcoholic options will be available for purchase, and BYO snacks/lunch)
Cost is on a sliding scale $10 - $30.
15% of proceeds will be donated to a local nature conservation organization.
There is a suggested minimum of $20 if you join for Part Two: Crafting & Craft Cider.
Venmo preferred or cash accepted. At this time there is not an online booking option (as I figure out a way to not have you get charged a booking fee!)
There are currently 10 spots available for Part One: The Wassail, and 7 spots available for Part Two: Crafting & Craft Cider. The event will be marked ‘sold out’ when capacity is reached.
** We believe in financial accessibility & mutual aid: please pay what you can! If you’d like to join but the cost is a barrier, feel free to reach out! **
To register, fill out the form below:
After registration:
To secure your spot, please do one of the following:
— send your payment to @Mikayla-Bishop via Venmo
— email mikayla@weofearth.co if you plan to pay cash/check
Registration is not complete without payment.
Workshop will take place rain or shine— if it’s particularly rough weather, attendees will be refunded.
Upon complete registration, attendees will receive an email with address and directions.
Cost covers: hot mulled cider, hand warmers, crafting materials, and payment for staff
Any purchase of a beverage at Far From the Tree is not included in the workshop cost and must be paid for independently.
What is a wassail?
Wassailing is a winter tradition dating back to the 15th century in cider-making regions across the UK, carried over to North America by the early colonists. The word wassail comes from the Old English phrase wes hál meaning “be in good health” — and it’s used as both a noun and a verb!
Wassail as a noun refers to the holiday beverage of hot cider mulled with various spices, and often the inclusion of alcohol. “To wassail” as a verb refers to singing to trees and leaving them offerings of cider and bread, so they’d be happy, healthy, and provide a bountiful harvest in the year to come. Folks would sometimes leave personal offerings as well, representing their wishes that they hoped would come to fruition as the tree grew.
There are records of apple orchard wassailing happening in the year as early as Winter Solstice (December 20th-22nd, depending on the year) and as late as January 17th (called “Old Twelvey Night” before the Gregorian calendar— now, “Twelfth Night/the Epiphany” is on January 5th).
Event photo by Dmytro Bukhantsov on Unsplash