Here we come a-wassailing 
Among the leaves so green; 
Here we come a-wand’ring 
So fair to be seen. 
Love and joy come to you, 
And to you your wassail too; 
And God bless you and send you 
a happy New Year.

This familiar carol describes one of the most beloved customs of Christmas—wassailing. The term itself derives from the Old Norse ves heil and the Old English was hál, which mean “be in good health” or “be fortunate.”  Originally, “wassail” was used as a simple greeting or salutation but eventually evolved into a popular Yuletide celebration involving merry-making, singing, and drinking—with the libation of choice a mulled alcoholic beverage also known as “wassail.” The tradition of going door to door with a bowl of wassail and singing carols developed in the Middle Ages when it was common for people to make “luck visits” in their parishes around Christmas or New Year.  These revelers would often sing (or make a racket) and bring with them joyous tidings and a communal bowl of wassail, which they would offer to their neighbors in return for some gratuity. And with everyone drinking from the same bowl, they often shared more than just good cheer!

Even older than the custom of “luck visits” is the agricultural ritual of “wassailing the trees,” in which English farmers and their families would carry hot cider and cakes into their orchard to bless the trees and encourage them to bear ample fruit the following year. The farmers would often lay a cider-soaked cake in the fork of a tree, splash more cider on it, and commence to firing guns and banging pots while chanting and singing a verse similar to the following:

Here’s to thee, old apple tree,
Whence thou may’st bud, and thou may’st blow,
And whence thou may’st bear apples enow,
Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel — bushel — sacks full!
And my pockets full too! Huzza!

This rowdy yet charming folk custom, which American author Henry David Thoreau called “apple-howling,” generally took place on Twelfth Night (January 5).

Wassailing traditions did not always occur out of doors, however. Another American author, Washington Irving, describes a Christmas dinner at a grand country estate in England, in which  a bowl of wassail takes center stage at the table:

When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel of rare and curious workmanship, which he placed before the squire. Its appearance was hailed with acclamation; being the Wassail Bowl, so renowned in Christmas festivity. The contents had been prepared by the squire himself; for it was a beverage in the skilful mixture of which he particularly prided himself: alleging that it was too abtruse and complex for the comprehension of an ordinary servant. It was a potation, indeed, that might well make the heart of a toper leap within him; being composed of the richest and raciest wines, highly spiced and sweetened, with roasted apples bobbing about the surface.

As Irving illustrates, wassail was quite a lavish drink in wealthy households and often contained “the richest and raciest wines” as well as expensive citrus juices and spices. The wassail bowl could be equally impressive, often crafted of precious silver or dense lignum vitae (“wood of life”).

At Exchange Place, we continue this festive tradition every Christmas in the Country when members of the Eden’s Ridge Hearth Cookery Society prepare a cauldron of wassail and serve it up after the annual Yule Log ceremony. To keep it simple and kid friendly, our wassail is simply mulled sweet apple cider garnished with clove-studded apples (a more complex recipe follows). As was common in Old England and Early America, each community or household often had a unique version of wassail, so we invite you to develop your own recipe for this history-rich beverage. Whether you like it simple, spicy, or spiked, imbibing a cup of wassail is a truly delicious way to celebrate the holiday season (though we recommend serving it in separate cups!)

EDEN’S RIDGE WASSAIL

1 gallon sweet apple cider (hard cider can also be used)
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
Juice from 1 or 2 lemons
3 whole cinnamon sticks
1 clove-studded apple
1 cup liquor of choice—brandy, wine, etc (optional)
Orange and lemon slices (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients and simmer until properly spiced. Serve hot with the citrus slices for garnish.

Note:  If you are making wassail in a copper or brass pot, be sure the pot is lined with tin, as the acid in the citrus juice can react with the copper or brass.