Families gathered in Rowntree Park on a weekend in late January for the Friends of Rowntree Park’s annual Wassail, a joyful winter celebration inspired by an ancient English tradition and reimagined for the local community.
Now in its third year, our Wassail continues to grow in popularity, with around 40 families attending this year’s event. The celebration brings people together to connect with nature, mark the turning of the seasons and share a moment of warmth and fun during the darker months of the year.
The afternoon’s events began with a range of hands-on crafts for families, including nature themed headbands, noise shakers and jingle sticks. Local storyteller Lara McClure captivated children and adults alike with the tale of the Apple Man, setting the scene for the celebrations to come. The event was then joined by Ramshackle Morris, who performed and then there was also the opportunity for families to join in.
Together, the group processed through the park to the Rowntree Park orchard, home to twelve different apple trees. There, families made plenty of noise to wake the trees from their winter rest, dipped bread into warm wassail juice and hung it on branches as offerings to thank the ‘spirit of the tree’, traditionally symbolised by robins. Ribbons were tied to branches and wishes were made for the year ahead, before everyone shared a warming cup of wassail juice together.
Wassailing has ancient roots in Britain and is traditionally associated with wishing apple trees health and encouraging a good harvest in the year to come. The Friends of Rowntree Park’s Wassail offered a modern, family friendly take on this tradition, focusing on inclusion, creativity and connection to the natural world.
“It’s about bringing people together in the park, celebrating the seasons, and creating shared memories that feel rooted in place. Also we are encouraging families to come and see the apple trees blossom in spring and then return to try the fruits in autumn. A great way to celebrate the cycle of the trees, seasons and nature in general.”
The Friends of Rowntree Park would like to thank all volunteers who helped make the event possible and all who came along to join in.
