Wow What a (National) Mistletoe Day

Today started gently enough with a small gathering of Druids in a local orchard.  Male & Female Mistletoe was harvested during a gentle ceremony that thanked the tree for producing apples and for hosting the Mistletoe.  During the ceremony, the Apple tree was anointed with Cider as a thank you gift.

The Male & Female Mistletoe are harvested separately and caught before hitting the ground.  They are then kept separately for the ceremony later in the day.

The next part of the day started with a BANG!  Drummers appeared on both sides of Teme Bridge and started to play loud rhythmic music. 

They were joined by the Mistletoe Foundation Parade as it brought the Harvested Mistletoe across the Teme into Tenbury.  All of a sudden, the Town centre which had only a few minutes ago appeared deserted, was packed with people watching the parade.

So much so that the Parade had to complete the last section on the road as the pavements were packed.  As the Parade crossed the road, it was met by the Head Girl & Boy from Tenbury High School with their attendants on the "Steps of Learning"

2011 Tenbury High School Head Girls , Anna Gunter (left) 

and Deputy Head Girl & attendant Jessica Sanders and

Head Boy, Callum Redding (right) and 

Jordan Powell (standing in for Deputy Head Boy Scott Dallow )

The Parade, and everyone else then made their way to the Burgage for the next part of the ceremony.

During the ceremony, the Mistletoe is blessed and the Mistletoe Queen is crowned.  The Male & Female Mistletoe are then brought together.

Apple Juice & Beer are poured over the Mistletoe so that all harvests of the Teme Valley are honoured.  Good intentions are put into the blessing and then the Mistletoe is given to the River Teme as a thank you to the land for its abundance and hoping for a good year, next year.

By now the sun was setting so a few of the two to three hundred people that had watched and joined in the ceremony retreated to the Pump Rooms for a warm drink and a chat.

They were joined by local MP Harriett Baldwin to present the prizes for the Mistletoe themed shop window dressing competition.

The first prize was awarded to Marilyn of Marilyn's Ladies Fashions. The second to Beauty Laine and joint third to Country Flowers and the Salon.

Then the entertained changed pace again with Damh the Bard, playing to a sell out crowd at the Royal Oak.

More photo's from the day.