Wassail

Wassail, in one form or another, has been a part of Christmas for hundreds of years. Wassail has taken the form of a toast to one’s health and prosperity, caroling for the blessing and pleasure of those being entertained, or a beverage.

The term “wasshail” comes from the Middle English phrase “wes heil” meaning “be whole” or “be healthy.” When toasted with “Wes heil,” the proper response was “Drinc heil,” meaning “drink wholeness” or “drink health” followed by imbibing a special drink made for the Christmas season. A fourteenth century document indicates that people wassailed, toasted, with a communal cup of a wassail drink would respond with, “Drinc heil” before toasting the next person passing the cup to them. Another thirteenth century document refers to the use of a special wassail bowl used for communal dunking of bread and cakes into the Christmas drink.

As time went on, the common folk who could not afford to make the spiced ale that made up the wassail drink went abroad with an empty bowl often decorated with ribbon, holly, mistletoe, and other greenery wassailing, caroling, the rich hoping the rich would fill their bowl with some of the wassail drink they enjoyed. Others might go around with their bowl already full hoping to exchange a cup full of their ale for food or money.

Often, the carols sung on these wassailing events toasted the health and prosperity of the occupants of the house where the carols were sung. One of the wassailing songs that can still be heard today go as follows:

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
here we come a-wand'ring
so fair to be seen.

Refrain:
Love and joy come to you,
and to you your wassail too;
and God bless you and send you a happy New Year,
and God send you a happy New Year.

The wassail drink became a Christmas essential in Victorian England. The beverage was composed of sweetened wine or ale spiced with some combination of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, allspice, or coriander. It may also be a drink known as lamb’s wool, containing ale with apples, cinnamon and cloves.