Dancing, singing and colourful costumes will bring Glasgow to life as Wassail festivities take place this weekend.
Crowds will gather in Queen's Park with morris dancers, drumming, and instruments making a din to wake up the fruit trees from their winter slumber.
It's part of an ancient pagan ritual of feasting, revelry and merrymaking which requires participants to make as much of a hullabaloo as possible.
When is the Glasgow Queen's Park Wassail?
The Wassail will be held in Glasgow's Queen Park at 12pm on Saturday, January 13, 2024.
It is organised each year by The Border Reivers Morris Dancers and Propagate, a Scottish collective focusing on sustainable food.
All are welcome to join and encouraged to wear colourful clothing and bring drums, instruments, and items to make a noise. Strong footwear and warm clothes are also recommended.
The group will meet at the Victoria Road main gates and walk up the hill to the orchards.
The Border Reivers Morris Dancers will be joined by local singers from community choirs including Voicebeat and Voicemale.
What is the tradition of Wassail? History and meaning explained
Wassail is an ancient pagan tradition which aims to encourage the spirits for a good harvest the following season.
It traditionally takes place on the twelfth night after Christmas and involves a visit to a local orchard to wake up the fruit trees and ward off any bad spirits by making a din.
Though it differs from place to place, Wassailing usually involves singing, dancing, and making loud noises with items like pots and pans.
In some areas – particularly in the West County of England – cider is poured over the roots of apple trees, while shotguns would be fired into the branches to banish evil spirits which could ruin the crop.
The term wassail is thought to derive from the Old English wæs (þu) hæl – borrowed from the Old Norse ves heill – which means to be healthy or whole.
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