Today marks the festival of Twelfth Night, the time when all decorations of the festive season should be taken down and the period of Wassailing begins. Twelfth Night is often confused with Epiphany on the 6th January, but they are very different things. Epiphany was originally the feast of St John the Baptist, but later became the date upon which the arrival of the three wise men visited the new born Christ child. Wassailing, is the time when, in the apple growing areas of the country, the apple trees are danced around and cider poured on their roots in the hope that they will provide a good harvest later in the year. If you've never been to a Wassail celebration they are well worth seeing. Visit Jubilee Gardens in Bewdley Worcestershire this Saturday 11th January from 2pm to see what a great Wassail should be!
Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Season of the Wassail

The cold bleak days of January are often brightened by the wonderful Wassail festival, which was traditionally celebrated on or around Twelfth Night.
Today, Twelfth Night  falls on the 5th January, however prior to the calendar changes of the C18, Twelfth Night fell 11 days later - around 16th January. The exact date however matters not, it is the spirit of the occasion which makes the festival.
The first writings we have of Wassailing appear in the C14, where the host of a party is described as holding up a communal drinking bowl and shouting out the word 'wassail'. The word derives from the Norse 'wes hail', or the Anglo Saxon, 'waes hael' meaning 'good health' or 'be whole'. After taking a drink the bowl was passed around and accepted each time with a kiss. The drink itself was thought to be 'lambswool', a mixture of mulled ale, herbs, honey and apples (you can purchase a pack of lambswool mix at the 'Copper Pot' in Bewdley Museum)
During the following century cakes were dipped into the bowl, and later still, in the apple growing regions of Britain, a ritual of blessing the apple trees with cider evolved. This was accompanied by hanging cider soaked toast in the trees for the birds and firing guns to scare away any impish spirits.
Although they are both now over, make a date for next years diary to visit Bewdley Museum in Worcestershire for the day time Wassail and Cookley in Worcestershire for an evening celebration with lit torches.
Meanwhile may all your trees bear fruit and Wassail to you and yours.
Read more: 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

Wassailing on Old Twelfth Night

The exact date of old Twelfth Night is the 17 January, but became the 5th of January after the calendar reforms of the C17. Today's celebrations however can be held any time between the two dates and this weekend sees many Wassailing celebrations nationwide. (check on line to see what's available in your area)
The word 'wassail' was first recorded during the early C14 and derives from the Saxon 'waes hael' meaning 'be whole'. Wassail was shouted as a toast whilst the drink known as lambswool was consumed which consisted of mulled ale, herbs and honey. A large goblet was filled with the drink and passed from person to person and accepted each time with a kiss.
In the middle Ages songs were written to accompany the drinking ritual;
'Wassail wassail all over the town, the toast it is white and the ale it is brown.'
So if January seems a little flat, why not celebrate and wassail with honeyed ale and song and may you all 'be whole' in the year ahead.

From 'Mrs darley's Pagan whispers

Plough Monday

The Monday following Twelfth Night was known as 'Plough Monday', as this was the time that farmers returned to work and the winter ploughing began. In actual fact very little ploughing was done and instead, the plough was dressed in ribbons and dragged around the streets, accompanied by people dressed up as goblins and witches and a man dressed as a woman who was referred to as a Betsy, Molly or Bessie.

The owners of the plough would ask for money from passers by and anyone who refused to donate would be at risk of having their garden ploughed up. Before the time of the reformation the money collected, was used to purchase a large candle known as the 'Plough Light', which burned on the church altar in order to bring good ploughing weather, a fruitful harvest and protection for the farmers.

These traditions stem back to Pagan times where sacrifices were made to the old Gods in exchange for a blessing before the new agricultural season began.

Endings

Today is the modern festival of Twelfth Night, which marks the end of the Seasonal celebrations. This is the day on which all the decorations should be taken down to avoid the hauntings of hobgoblins and mischevious spirits throughout the coming year. (More on Twelfth Night traditions and ritual mid month, when 'Old Twelfth Night' is celebrated)

Many people confuse Twelfth Night with the Christian festival of the Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the three wise men to Christ and therefore leave their Christmas decorations up until the 6th January. This however, would be the 13th night of Christmas, so please take your decorations down today!

Twelfth Night also marks the anniversary of a very personal ending for me, as my Mum died a year ago today and I miss her now as much as I ever did.

Seasonal Fayre

Regardless of our spiritual beliefs, many of us will be tucking into what we assume is traditional Christmas fayre tomorrow, including turkey and Christmas pudding, but perhaps surprisingly, these familiar foods are not as traditional as we might think!

During the 15th century, the wealthy ate boars head, which was trumpeted to the table to show its importance. Our ancestors too, held this dish in high esteem as it was revered by both the Celts and the Vikings.

During the 17th and 18th centuries boar was superceded by swan and peacock, then by beef, until the 19th century when the Victorians introduced turkey as a cheap alternative, although records show that turkey was served at Christmas as early as 1542.

Plum porridge was an old Christmas dish, which, over the centuries became thicker and thicker until it took the form of our now familiar Christmas pudding, which first appeared around 1670. It also became the hiding place for silver coins, the good luck symbols which were originally hidden in the Twelfth Night Cake.

Whatever your preference and whatever your path, may the returning light shine bright in your life.

'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers.'