Wassail is a hot, spiced punch often associated with winter celebrations of northern Europe, usually those connected with holidays such as Christmas, New Year's and Twelfth Night. Particularly popular in Germanic countries, the term itself is a contraction of the Old English toast wæs þu hæl, or "be thou hale!" (i.e., "be in good health"). Alternate expressions predating the term, with approximately the same meaning, include both the Old Norse ves heill and Old English wes hál. For the Swedish liquor, see Punsch. ... Northern Europe Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. ... Twelfth Night is a holiday in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany, concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas, and is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day... Old English (also called Anglo-Penis[1], Englisc by its speakers) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Penis[1], Englisc by its speakers) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ...

History

While the beverage typically served as "wassail" at modern holiday feasts with a medieval theme most closely resembles mulled cider, historical wassail was completely different, more likely to be mulled beer. Sugar, ale, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon would be placed in a bowl, heated, and topped with slices of toast as sops. Hence the first stanza of the traditional carol the Gloucestershire Wassail dating back to the Middle Ages: Cider in a pint glass Cider (or cyder) is an alcoholic beverage made primarily from the juices of specially grown varieties of apples. ... Mull could refer to: Look up Mull in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ... This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely-traded commodity. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Zingiber officinale Rosc. ... It has been suggested that Legal drugs#Nutmeg be merged into this article or section. ... Binomial name J.Presl Cassia (Chinese cinnamon) is also commonly called (and sometimes sold as) cinnamon. ... This article is about the food. ... A sop is a piece of bread soaked in a liquid food of some sort. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

At Carhampton, near Minehead, the Apple Wassailing is held on the Old Twelfth Night (17 January). The villagers form a circle around the largest apple tree, hang pieces of toast soaked in cider in the branches for the robins, who represent the 'good spirits' of the tree. A shotgun is fired overhead to scare away evil spirits and the group sing, the following being the last verse: Carhampton is a village in West Somerset, four miles to the east of Minehead. ... , Minehead is a coastal town in West Somerset, England with a population of around 10,000. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Old Apple tree, old apple tree;
We've come to wassail thee;
To bear and to bow apples enow;
Hats full, caps full, three bushel bags full;
Barn floors full and a little heap under the stairs^[1].

Customs

There are three varieties of Wassail Custom-

• Wassailing the apple trees and the barns- Celebrants gather as above in apple orchards where they will perform ritual acts to insure that there will be a good apple harvest the follwing year. The wassail beverage is consumed and bonfires lighted. In the orchards noise is made to chase off evil spirits, guns are fired. Pieces of toast soaked in wassail are placed in the branches of the trees. Orchard visiting wassails are most prevalent in the West Country the most famous of these being held in Carhampton (Somerset) and Whimple (Devon).

• Wassail door to door- This is the most well known. Groups of people either bearing wassail or begging for it sometimes dressed in costume go from house to house singing and reveling. This is believed to be a custom of re-distribution helping the poor without placing them in the category of as a version of the song notes: "daily beggars". It is also a way of preserving a perishable crop- apples, by turning into something that can be preserved and takes up less weight and volume that is: cider traditionally a central ingredient for Wassail.^[2]

• Wassailing in the Hall- Generally tied to other customs of Epiphany such as those relating to the king and queen of the bean. Wassail is consumed inside in a hall, via a loving cup decorated with ribbons.^[2]

This does not cite its references or sources. ... A bonfire or balefire is a large controlled outdoor fire made from bales of straw or wood. ... The West Country is an informal term for the area of south-western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. ... Carhampton is a village in West Somerset, four miles to the east of Minehead. ... Whimple is a village in East Devon. ... Cider in a pint glass Cider (or cyder) is an alcoholic beverage made primarily from the juices of specially grown varieties of apples. ... A hallway at the Royal York Hotel Look up Hall, hall in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Epiphany may refer to. ...

Music

Music and song is a very important part of the customs of Wassailing. Music and singing accompany the wassailers from door to door, in the orchards, and in the hall. This does not cite its references or sources. ...

Here is what is believed to be the most ancient Wassail song.

Sixteenth Century Wassail- About 1536: Wassail, wassail, sing we In worship of Christ’s nativity. Now joy be to the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, That one God is in Trinity, Father of heaven, of mightes most. And joy to the Virgin pure That ever kept her undefiled Grounded in grace, in heart full sure, And bare a child as maiden mild. Bethlehem and the star so shen, That shone three kinges for to guide, Bear witness of this maiden clean; The kinges three offered that tide. And shepherds heard, as written is, The joyful song that there was sung: Gloria in excelsis! With angel’s voice it was out rung. Now joy be to the blessedful child, And joy be to his mother dear; Joy we all of that maiden mild, And joy have they that make good cheer. Wassail, wassail, wassail, sing we In worship of Christ’s nativity. -^{[3] [4]} This article or section contains too many quotations for an encyclopedic entry. ... In Roman times, Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate or they were punished by death. ... Central Bethlehem This article is about the city in the West Bank. ... Christ is the English term for the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... For the Nativity of Jesus, see Nativity of Jesus. ...

Other uses and similarities

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• Wassail is very similar to a Roman winter beverage called calda which, according to the recipes of Apicius, consisted of wine cut with water, then heated, sweetened with honey, and flavored with aromatic spices. (Many Christmas traditions actually derive from those of the Roman festival of Saturnalia, so a connection between the two is possible.)

• Today, many microbreweries produce a beverage very similar to wassail – spiced beer – during the winter months.

• A Wassail is a traditional ceremony carried out to ensure a good crop of cider apples for the coming harvest. See wassailing.

• Wassail or wæs þu hæl is a greeting often used by Neopagans to avoid saying anything Christian. It can be used as a form of farewell and greeting. It can be used at any time of the year or day and is not required that it is related to toasting. The belief that it is only done in respect to apples comes from Fraser's The Golden Bough in which the custom is mentioned. As this practice has been revived -- ironically -- by churches, Mummers, and Morris troupes, many non-pagans have come across the term.

• In the modern day, Wassail is most commonly recognized as an obscure reference in various traditional Christmas carols: "Wassail, wassail all over the town," for example, or "Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green". Wassail-themed songs were once sung by winter carollers who went from house to house, singing to the residents in exchange for small gifts of money, food and drink (often wassail.)

• In the Southern US, Russian Tea is a favorite winter holiday hot beverage, often considered wassail. Made by brewing tea, sweetening the tea, then adding equal parts orange and pineapple juices, lemon juice, cinnamon, and whole cloves. As the concoction simmers, the clove permeates the flavor. An instant version, a popular hostess gift, is made with instant tea and Tang (an orange-flavored drink mix), but is hardly comparable to the "original." There is no apparent connection of this recipe to Russia.

Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Apicius was a name applied to three celebrated Roman epicures, the first of whom lived during the Republic; the second of whom, Marcus Gavius (or Gabius) Apicius—the most famous in his own time—lived under the early Empire; a third lived in the late 4th or early 5th century. ... For other uses, see Saturnalia (disambiguation). ... Beer barrels outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England. ... Spiced beer is a beer containing the flavors of one or more spices. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). ... Mummers Plays (also known as mumming) are seasonal folk plays performed by troupes of actors known as mummers or guisers (or by local names such as rhymers, pace-eggers, soulers, tipteerers, galoshins and so on), originally in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (see wrenboys), but later in other parts of... Cotswold morris with handkerchiefs A morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied with music. ... This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Tang is a sugared, fruit-flavored, non-carbonated soft drink from the USA. The original orange flavored Tang was formulated by General Foods Corporation in 1957 and first marketed (in powdered form) in 1959. ...

Bibliography

Bladey, Conrad, Jay,(2--2) "Do the Wassail", Hutman Productions, Linthicum,ISBN 0970238673. Gayre, G.R. (1948). Wassail! In Mazers of Mead. Pub. Phillimore & Co.Ltd. London.

External links

• Delicious Wassail Recipe
• A thorough study of Wassail Customs, Tunes, lrics,recipes, wassail in literature... (Warning: this page plays music.)
• The Whimple Wassail (Whimple History Society)
• Making a wassail bowl
• Pictures of Wassail Bowls

References

1. ^ Christian, Roy (1972). Old English Customs. Pub. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5741-7. P.113.
2. ^ ^{a b} Bladey, Conrad, Jay,(2--2) "Do the Wassail", Hutman Productions, Linthicum,ISBN 0970238673
3. ^ Rickert, Edith, Ancient English Chgristmas Carols MCCCC to MDCC, London 1928
4. ^ http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5567/wassail.html