the.com/wassail
a medieval drinking chant that doubled as a threat to apple trees and rich neighbors.
means A spiced, warmed drink (usually mulled cider or ale) shared in festive toasting, or the act of going door-to-door singing for such drink and good cheer at Christmastime.
from From Old English 'wes hāl' — literally 'be healthy,' a toast you'd call out to a drinking companion. The proper reply was 'drinc hāl,' 'drink well.' Through Middle English the greeting fused into the single word 'wassail,' attaching itself to the bowl, the drink inside it, and eventually the rowdy carol-and-cider tradition of wassailing — including the old custom of singing to orchards to bless next year's apples. So the word began as a wish for someone's health and ended as both the cup and the ritual of raising it.
- meaning
- From Old Norse for 'be in good health'
- tree ritual
- Cider-soaked toast hung in orchards to wake trees
- shotguns optional
- Farmers fired guns to scare off orchard spirits
- early extortion
- Carolers demanded drink, refused to leave without
- the drink
- Hot spiced ale with roasted crab apples
apple wassail — traditional english ceremony pouring cider on apple trees in winter, practiced in somerset and devon for centuries
wassail bowl — medieval spiced ale drink served hot during christmas celebrations, featured in 14th century english courts
wassailing ceremony cornwall — annual january 17th tradition in cornish orchards where people sing to trees and fire guns to ward off evil spirits