Find out about Wassail history on the island and when they are happening this year.
Are you running an apple wassail? Email wightwassail@gmail.com and we will add it to the Upcoming Wassails page. Follow the Facebook page to stay up to date.
Merstone Wassail 2025: Adorning the tree
Merstone Wassail 2025: Morris dancers
Merstone Wassail 2025: Addressing the tree
Merstone Wassail 2025: Wassail musicians
A ceremony to ensure a good harvest for the next year, especially for apples. They wake the trees up from their winter sleep and drive away any evil spirits with noise, song, dance and a wassail drink. Bread or cake and cider is offered to the tree, to make sure it is well fed and will produce abundant fruit.
Why not have your own? See How to Run a Wassail for tips or email us for help and suggestions.
Isle of Wight Wassail song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPNS-xroNK8
A recipe for a warming spiced wassail drink from Butser Ancient Farm https://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/blog/2026/1/2/here-we-come-a-wassailing
Folk On Wight: Isle of Wight Folk Music and Dance information and events https://folkonwight.com
Connecting Communities to Food: Why Wassailing Is More Than Just an Excuse for Cider https://tastingthefuture.com/2025/03/03/connecting-communities-to-food-why-wassailing-is-more-than-just-an-excuse-for-cider/
Tradfolk National Wassail Directory and more about wassailing https://tradfolk.co/customs/wassailing/where-to-wassail-this-year/
National Trust article on Wassail https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/art-collections/wassailing-ritual-and-revelry
