What does the Xmas word wassail mean?
good health
The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. Originally, the wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar.
When you go wassailing What is it that you are doing?
One involves groups of merrymakers going from one house to another, wassail bowl in hand, singing traditional songs and generally spreading fun and good wishes. The other form of wassailing is generally practiced in the countryside, particularly in fruit growing regions, where it is the trees that are blessed.
Where did the term wassail come from?
Etymology. The word wassail comes from the Anglo-Saxon greeting Wæs þu hæl, meaning “be thou hale”—i.e., “be in good health”. The correct response to the greeting is Drinc hæl meaning “drink and be healthy”.
How do you do wassail?
What generally happens is that pieces of toast soaked in cider are placed around the oldest or finest tree in the orchard, cider is poured round the base then shot guns are fired into the upper branches, buckets are beaten and a general cacophony of noise made to scare away evil spirits and wake the sleeping trees.
What is the meaning of the word wassailing?
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word wassailing. The tradition of wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. The House-Visiting wassail, caroling by another name, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing…
What is the meaning of the drink Wassail?
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Wassail. Wassail refers both to the salute ‘Waes Hail’ and to the drink of wassail, a hot mulled cider traditionally drunk as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient southern English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.
When did the word wassail first appear in English?
The term “wassail” is first attested in the mid-12th century, in early Middle English (of which it appears in records in many spellings — wæshæil, whatsail (e), washail (e), etc.)
What are the different types of wassailing traditions?
Freebase(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition: The tradition of wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. The House-Visiting wassail, caroling by another name, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols.
What exactly is a wassail?
Wassail ( /ˈwɒsəl/, /-eɪl/; Old Norse “ves heil”, Old English was hál, literally: be hale) is a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.
What is Wassail, anyway?
Generally Wassail is a spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve. Many versions though here in the U.S. are alcohol free, as is this one (though if preferred you could add vodka or rum).
What is the tradition of the wassail?
Wassail is a traditional drink served during the winter holidays, including Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Twelfth Night. It is especially popular in northern European countries, where it originates. It consists of a hot, spiced drink, often alcoholic, that most commonly resembles cider in the modern day.
What are the wassail ingredients?
Ingredients ▢ 2 apples ▢ 8 cups apple cider ▢ 2 cups orange juice ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice ▢ 4 cinnamon sticks ▢ 15 whole cloves ,or 1/2 tsp ground cloves ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ▢ 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar , optional
