| Where: | Glastonbury, Somerset at St John's Church on the High Street |
| When: | Early to mid December (near 13th) |
| Time: | 10 am |
The Glastonbury Thorn is a descendant of the tree which legend has it grew from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, who placed Christ’s body in the Tomb. The Holy Thorn flowers at Christmas each year and a sprig is sent to the Soveriegn to decorate his dining table on Christmas Day. Puritans destroyed the original tree as idolatrous, but cuttings survived from which the current tree is descended. The Cutting Ceremony takes place on a schoolday in mid- December and local schoolchildren sing a special song – the eldest child or children of St John’s Infant School cut the sprig aided by the Mayor and there is a brief blessing by the Vicar.
Helpful Hints
While the ceremony always takes place in mid-December and used usually to be held on a Wednesday, in some years it has to move to another day so that all the participants are available to attend and is sometimes on a Thursday or Friday. In 2023 it took place on Wednesday December 13th- 2024 date is yet to be announced.
The original thorn tree grew on Wearyall Hill but the tree from which the sprig is cut resides in the churchyard for safekeeping, to the left of the main path to the South porch (and rightly so, as another descendant of the original tree planted on Wearyall Hill was chopped down by vandals in 2010).
Click here for the school calendar which features the event: https://www.stjohnsinfantsglastonbury.co.uk/calendar/?calid=1,2&pid=3&viewid=1
Does anyone know the special carol the children sing at this event? I would like to find the words and notes to it. Thanks. Joe
Hi Joe,
Contact the school at http://www.stjohnsinfantsglastonbury.co.uk – they’re very helpful with the dates for the ceremony if you call the school office on the phone, so I expect they’ll be able to help out with the words. Best of luck!
Averil
@Joe Hatley – according to the article in the link provided, it is called “The Holy Thorn Song” https://www.plant-lore.com/news/thorn-cutting-ceremony-glastonbury/