So just what is this wassail? It is a hot beverage mainly consisting of mulled apple cider infused with lemon, orange, and various seasonal spices like clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. (Courtesy photo).
There are many Christmas traditions honored by American families taking place inside and outside individual homes across the country from the end of November all the way to the start of a new year.
Glaring signs of these traditions are Christmas lights, blow-up characters symbolic of the holiday, nativity scenes, and of course, the brightly lit Christmas tree. There are also subtle cues the Christmas holiday is drawing near — special foods, drinks, and maybe even the occasional ugly Christmas sweater or two.
One slightly less well-known tradition in modern times is the colonial holiday custom of “going wassailing among the leaves so green.”
Popularized in song, “Here We Go A-Wassailing” and in books and movies such as Little Women, the term refers to a hot beverage served during the Christmas holiday. The tradition finds its roots in a twist of pagan and Christian beliefs, possibly dating back to as early as the Christian Germanic tribes.
Traditionally, wassailing involves gathering with friends and neighbors to sing songs and drink wassail. From here, this custom further divides into those who like to travel with hot beverages, going door-to-door and visiting with their neighbors, to the second group, who prefer to head straight to the orchard to enjoy a wassailing good time of songs and fellowship there.
The first group sang songs on neighbor’s doorsteps and offered them a drink of wassail in exchange for gifts. This tradition has largely been replaced over time with that of Christmas carolers; however, the tradition of wassailing remains strong in Germany and the rural areas of England. American colonists from Eurupe introduced the tradition into the New World.
Those who head to the orchard usually do so in order to sing songs to the trees, believing this type of communion with nature will ensure continued prosperity and growth into the new year. And the tree singers may be on to something because Oxford English Dictionary defines “wassail” as a word borrowed from the Old Norse greeting ves heill, which corresponds to the Old English phrase hal wes pu meaning to “be in good health” or “fortunate,” which are necessary qualities for a continued good harvest.
So just what is this wassail?
It is a hot beverage mainly consisting of mulled apple cider infused with lemon, orange, and various seasonal spices like clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. As is the case with many traditions when it comes to food and beverage, there are many takes on the drink, some even opt to use pineapple and orange juice over adding fresh slices of orange and lemon to the mix, while others may choose to adult things up a bit by adding ale or wine to the holiday brew. No matter how or where you choose to wassail this Christmas — always remember to drain your cloves!