Wassail + Cider Competition

Saturday 9th January sees the third Haddenham Wassail! This resurrected old English tradition celebrates our fruit trees in the dark days of January, around 12th night.

We will visit mainly apple trees in the community orchard and perhaps peoples gardens and call the traditional chant and make some noise to 'scare off the evil spirits'.

The tradition also involves putting a bit of toast soaked in cider into the branches of the tree to encourage robins to come to the trees for good luck. The newly planted Townsend Community Orchard trees will get the best start in their new home and we will watching over them during the coming year.

Needless to say, we will drink plenty of cider — much of it made in the village from the trees we are wassailing! The Wassail! party will meet up at Townsend Community Orchard (off Townsend Green) at 5.30pm. Come dressed for the weather with stout shoes, carry a torch/lantern and something to make a noise!

The Wassail! will be followed by the 5th annual Haddenham cider competition at 8pm in the Rising sun. To enter the competition, bring along your bottle of cider made from Haddenham apples, with details of where the apples came from and it's name (if your cider doesn't have a name...we will give it a number!) before 8pm or deliver it to David Lyons, tel. 01844 296174