We are moving towards the Winter Solstice at a fast rate. Every day, it gets darker out there. It is getting dark before 5pm, and some days.. it never really seems to get light at all. It is easy to get lost in the dark at this time of the year, but before you do- consider Wassailing. It's an old custom of spreading blessings, joy, and health. And you know what they say- you can't make someone else smile without smiling yourself. If you feel dark, the best cure is to spread some light.
Wassailing is a British tradition. There are many ways to Wassail, ranging from leaving gifts for people, to walking around with a bowl that you ask for offerings for. You can Wassail the trees and the garden to bless it for the future gardens that we Will grow when the light returns. There are a lot of Wassailing customs which involve singing, and it looks like this is where the tradition of singing door to door during the holiday season.
Here are my thoughts for Wassailing:
*Create treats for song birds in blessing. Apples covered in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed, hanging up in the trees.
*The Visit Wassail. This is a lovely tradition of spreading love and blessings, good health and joy.. to your neighbors and friends. It can be done in many ways, ranging from singing at people and demanding an offering to dropping by with handmade gifts and treats for people to spread love. You can even spread kindness and try to not get caught. Leave little gifts or treats for people. You can really brighten someone's day.. and yours too.
*Crop/Tree Wassailing. There are lovely customs of taking care of the crops, clearing energy and giving offerings of apple cider to the trees. You can also create cakes soaked in apple cider to place around the forest to bless the spirits of your land.
*Talk to the trees and the birds, say thank you.
*Find ways to spread kindness, whether random or deliberate, be a light when everything gets dark.
A few songs of Wassailing. One that you might recognize:
"Here we come a Wassailing
Among the Leaves so Green,
Here we come a wandering
So fair to be seen
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your Wassail too,
And Gods bless you and
Send you a happy new year. "
And then to Wassail an Apple tree:
"Here's to thee, old apple tree,
May'st thou bud, may'st thou bow!
Hats full, caps full, bushel, bushel bags full,
Sacks full, barns full, and our pockets full too!
Hurrah!
Stand fast, root! Bear well, top!
Send us a howling crop!
Every twig, apple big!
Every bough, apples enow!
Hurrah!"
For more information, check out Wassailing by Simon Reed