EDM 661: Wassailing in Somerset

That this House celebrates the tradition of wassailing, a pagan ceremony deeply rooted in Somerset’s cultural heritage; notes that this Anglo-Saxon and Celtic custom involves blessing orchards to ensure a fruitful apple harvest for the year ahead; recognises that this tradition, which typically takes place on Old Twelfth Night, 17 January, involves singing, chanting, beating pots and pans and pouring cider or apple juice around the base of the largest or oldest tree in the orchard in the hope of warding off evil spirits to ensure a bountiful crop, before sharing a traditional wassail drink of cider blended with honey and spices; highlights the cultural and communal significance of wassailing in Somerset in bringing communities together; celebrates the importance of support for traditional cider producers, using British homegrown apples to create premium natural cider, superior in quality to sugar-laden cider made with concentrate, which circumvents the governments stipulation that cider must contain a minimum of 35% juice; acknowledges that the product's ability to evade government legislation is a leading reason why so many traditional orchards have been felled; calls on the government to strengthen their support for local orchards in Somerset and across the country to secure fair prices throughout the supply chain; and recognises the need to give the Grocery Code Adjudicator more powers to protect consumers and producers from unfair prices.