A Brief History of Wassail
The Traditions, Lyrics and Recipes Behind an Old English Custom
Nov 9, 2008
As a tradition meant to celebrate and promote health, wealth and good fortune around the holidays, it's hard to beat wassail and wassailing for fun and a sense of purpose that is rooted in history dating back centuries. In fact there are those who claim that going from house to house singing "Here We Come A-Wassailing" lies at the heart of the modern custom of Christmas caroling.
The exact origins of wassail and the wassailing tradition are somewhat shrouded in mystery. Some sources trace it to the 16th century and others as far back as the Saxons. Still others attribute it to the pagans as a sort of harvest ritual. Wassail's true ancestry probably lies somewhere in the murky middle, but it seems clear that the modern observance dates back to old England.
Phonetically, however, the term Wassail has fairly clear origins. The original cry was "Wes Hal" meaning "Be in Good Health". The host would then raise his tankard and reply "Drink Hail", meaning literally "Drink Health". The act of toasting and drinking wassail was meant to wish good health and then to quite literally consume that good health.
Additionally, there are a great many wassailing songs for various occasions. Part of the tradition was to have the guests sing a wassail song as they go from house to house, or as the wassail bowl is brought into the room just before the toast.
Wassail Song:
Here We Come A-Wassailing
First Verse
Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.
Chorus:
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.
Second Verse
We are not daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,
But we are neighbor's children
Whom you have seen before.
Chorus
Third Verse
We have a little purse
Made of ratching leather skin;
We want some of your small change
To line it well within.
Chorus
Fourth Verse
God bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.
Chorus
Wassail Recipe:
Makes 4 qts. (approx.) - recipe may be doubled
Ingredients:
4 (2*) cups good Apple Cider (freshly pressed)
1 cup Orange Juice
2 pints heavy (winter) ale*
3 cups Port*
4 small tart/sweet apples (peeled and cored)
2 lemons
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 small or 1.5 large cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp, butter (cold)
* 2 pints Sherry or Madeira wine and 1-cup rum are often substituted (for ale and port) by non-beer drinkers - resulting in a somewhat sweeter flavor with a lighter body.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pack1 tbsp. of brown sugar and ¼ tbsp. of butter into the core of each apple. Place apples in a small baking dish and fill dish with ½-inch of water (to keep apples from burning or sticking to bottom).
- When oven is pre-heated bake apples uncovered for 45min. to 1-hour or until tender and soft, but not mushy. Drain water. Quarter each baked apple (or divide into eights depending on number of guests).
- Combine cardamom, cloves and ginger in a small piece of cheesecloth, and tie closed with twine to form a spice packet. A tea ball or tea bag may also be used).
- In a large stockpot (or crockpot) combine apple cider, orange juice, (plus Ale, Port/Rum, Wine as desired), and the juice of one lemon.
- Place cinnamon and nutmeg directly into liquids and stir to infuse nutmeg.
- Submerge spice packet in stockpot.
- Stir apples into stockpot (they'll ultimately float on top and begin to soften, fall apart and add a creamy quality to the liquid.
- Simmer on medium/high (but never boiling) for two hours until hot spices are thoroughly infused and apples have begun to dissolve.
- Remove spice packet and decant into "Wassail Bowl" if not using stockpot or crockpot as your Wassail Bowl. Be prepared to reheat until the Wassail Bowl is empty.
- Garnish the Wassail Bowl by floating thin slices of the remaining lemon on top.
- Serve in small mugs with a sizable piece of apple in each mug.
If you are interested in hosting a traditional wassail party, you will find some suggestions here.
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