Starting at The Ship, 3 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB

Join us for an evening of pints, carols and festive good cheer as we go wassailing around the historic pubs and taverns of the parish of St Olave Hart Street, following in the footsteps of one of our most famous parishioners, Samuel Pepys!

What is wassailing?

‘Wassailing’ is an ancient tradition of singing carols and spreading good cheer. The word derives from the Old Norse greeting vas heill, meaning ‘good health’, which became a toast before drinking. Later, ‘wassail’ also became the name of a drink, rather like the mulled wine we enjoy at Christmas today.

With our own Nordic roots, it is particularly appropriate that we revive this tradition at St Olave Hart Street, a medieval church dedicated to St Olav, the Viking warrior who became King of Norway and later a saint.

Following the success of our inaugural wassail last Christmas, we will once again take our carol singing out of the church and into the streets and pubs of the City of London, spreading a little festive cheer along the way.

It’s an opportunity to sing some familiar Christmas carols, explore a few of the City’s historic watering holes and enjoy good company in the surroundings of Samuel Pepys’s old parish.

Everyone is welcome! You don’t need to be a member of the church, an accomplished singer or even know what wassailing is. Just bring your voice, a warm coat and some festive good humour.

We’ll meet at The Ship, 3 Hart Street, at 6pm, before making our way around the parish. Some of our singing will be outdoors, so please dress warmly.

Participation is free. Please register on Eventbrite to receive further details and updates.

Come and help us spread a little Christmas cheer through the streets of Samuel Pepys’s parish!

Discover our other Advent and Christmas services and events at St Olave Hart Street.