A Wassail Celebration

About

A Wassail Celebration invites young and old to join Lightbear Lane in welcoming Jim Causley for a seasonal extravaganza celebrating our rich folk tradition of wassailing. The West Country has a rich tradition of wassails, and the custom is enjoying a revival, with new celebrations springing up across the region. This indigenous British custom centres on waking the apple trees to ensure a good harvest for the year ahead.

Join us for a late afternoon of music and lively presentations exploring the different elements of wassailing: traditional Devon cider-making, folk customs and songs, and the new traditions emerging to reconnect people with nature and the seasons.
In the Great Hall of St Nicholas Priory, Jim will bring it all to life with fascinating insights, film clips, stories and music. We'll learn a wassail song or two and try them out at our own small celebration, while warming ourselves with mulled cider from the pop-up bar in the Undercroft.
The perfect entertainment for a cold, dark January evening, this celebration will set you up for the wassail season ahead and send you home with the warm glow of people coming together on a cold winter's night.

Jim Causley, award-winning folk singer extraordinaire, has led the legendary Whimple Wassail for decades and visits festivities across the country, bringing with him music rooted in the land and a deep understanding of local folk traditions. Dubbed "the Wassail King", he has played a significant part in reviving and keeping this ancient tradition alive.