Here We Come a Wassailing
Here We Come a Wassailing
Wassailing is a tradition that predates Christianity, and yet has become a tradition near and dear to Christmas. Very few people refer to the practice as Wassailing anymore, but I am willing to bet that a good number of our readers have gone Wassailing, for it is well known under a much more modern term, Caroling. Wassailing is the practice of going from house to house singing songs traditionally with a bowl or a cup in hopes of getting a drink from the host.
The tradition began (pre-Christian) as a way to ward off evil spirits from the orchards. A Wassail King and Queen would be crowned by the locals and then the Wassail King and Queen would lead a processional in song into the orchard and then usually the Wassail Queen would be hoisted into the branches where she will place a piece of toast soaked in the traditional drink of the ceremony traditionally called Wassail which is a mulled cider, mead, or ale mixed in a bowl and carried with the processional. The toast was given as an offering to the spirits, basically a bribe to encourage the good spirits to ensure that the orchards produced a healthy bounty in the coming year, and keep the evil spirits at bay.
Of course as Christianity grew this tradition would change, and eventually had the Wassail King and Queen lead a procession through town knocking on door to door with a wassail bowl singing carols in exchange for the home owner filling the wassail bowl for the carolers to drink from.
Traditional Wassail Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 bottle (750ml) of your favorite mead (Semi-Sweet to dry, plain mead is ideal)
2 cups Fresh Apple Cider
1 Large Orange
4 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Whole Cloves
1 small slice ginger root
Pinch of nutmeg
Cut the Orange in half. Poke the Cloves into the rind of one half. Squeeze the juice from the other half into the pot.
Add the Apple Cider and Mead.
Add the Cinnamon Sticks, Nutmeg and half orange with cloves to the pot.
Slice the ginger root length wise into 4 pieces. Add one piece to the pot.
Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Allow to steep for one hour.
Serve piping hot. Yields 8 to 10 servings.
Traditional Wassail Song
Gloucestershire Wassail
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
So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef
And a good piece of beef that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee
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
And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie
A good Christmas pie that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee
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
So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn
May God send our master a good crop of corn
And a good crop of corn that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee
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
And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear
Pray God send our master a happy New Year
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee
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
And here is to Colly and to her long tail
Pray God send our master he never may fail
A bowl of strong beer! I pray you draw near
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear
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
Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best
Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all
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
Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin
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