Twelfth Night Wassail

The Kent Online website has an article about a group who have the revived the tradition of Wassailing at Twelfth Night in Kent. 

The custom was first recorded at Fordwich near Canterbury in the county in 1585 and marked the end of the cessation of agricultural work over Christmas. Intended to encourage a good fruit yield in the coming year it is now particularly associated with rural counties in southern England.

The illustrated article can be seen at Crowds with flame-lit torches to march into woods for drinking ritual

Wikipedia provides a useful account of the tradition and practice at Wassailing

There is something about Wassail in an interesting article from this week’s Country Life about traditional Twelfth Night celebrations and customs - though I do not believe, as per the article, that Queen Victoria personally banned Twelfth Night in 1870 because it was rowdy. The illustrated account can be seen at Twelfth Night: What it is, when it falls and why it's the biggest celebration we no longer enjoy