The Wassailing Tradition
In England in the middle ages, people would go wassailing (caroling) door to door carrying the wassail bowl and would receive snacks and drinks in return. Modern singing of carols dates back to wassailing. Our toasting custom does also, as the wassail punch used to be topped with a slice of toasted bread.
In Middle English "waes hael" means “Be in good health”. In Old Norse it is "ves heill".
In England, “wassailing the apple trees” is still practiced today in the orchards that produce apples for cider. It is believed that wassailing the trees and beehives will ensure a good crop and scare away evil spirits. Farmers would gather on 12th Night (January 5th) drinking and dancing around bonfires in the apple orchards, then proceed singing from house to house. Cider was poured on the roots of the sturdiest tree in the orchard and cake placed in the branches. Dancers in oxen costumes would dance around the tree to be wassailed. These customs pre-date Christianity, but Christian elements came to be included in the festivities such as mummer’s plays. In 1644, Christmas was forbidden by Parliament and Scotland in 1562 for its ‘sensual delights’. Christmas was re-established by Charles II in the Restoration, which began in 1660.
Here is part of the traditional wassailing song and some wassail recipes to warm your Yule:
The Wassail Song
Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green
Here we come a wandering so fair to be seen
Love and joy come to you and to your wassail too
And the Gods bless you and send you a happy New Year
And the Gods send you a happy New Year
We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door
We are your neighbor's children whom you have seen before
The Gods bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress, too
And all the little children that round the table go.
Traditional Wassail with Ale
6 bottles of brown ale (Newcastle is good)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup sweet cream sherry
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
1 baguette
Ground cinnamon
Combine ale, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, sherry and apples in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until apples become soft.
Use a spoon to remove the cloves so your guests don't choke on them. However, no need to remove the cinnamon sticks until the last of the ale has been served.
Cut 12 slices from the baguette and cut a V-shaped wedge from the edge of each piece to the center so the slice will fit over the edge of each cup or mug without breaking once toasted.
Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil for 2 minutes or until toasted on one side, then flip the slices over and broil for an additional minute or until golden brown.
Ladle wassail (including apple slices) into each cup, sprinkling cinnamon on top and garnishing with a toasted baguette slice.
Serves 12
Non-Alcoholic Wassail Recipe
1 quart apple juice
1 quart apple cider
8 oranges
4 lemons
1 TB honey
16 cinnamon sticks (10 for garnish)
10 whole cloves
10 whole allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon mace
In a large pot, combine apple juice and cider. Wash and slice the oranges and lemons and add them to the pot. Create a spice pouch by wrapping 6 cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and mace in a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and add that to the pot as well. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Ladle into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Wassail with Red Wine
1 cup of honey
4 cloves
3 sticks of cinnamon
2 lemons thinly sliced
1 bottle medium dry red wine
Boil together water, honey, cloves and cinnamon for five minutes. Add two lemons thinly sliced and allow to stand for 7 or 8 minutes. Add a bottle of medium dry red wine and heat slowly until just below boiling point. Pour into a jug and serve hot.