(Entry 1 of 2) 1 : an early English toast to someone’s health. 2 : a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime. 3 : riotous drinking : revelry.
What is the drink wassail made of?
Wassail is a juice that is warmed with spices – usually a mixture of orange and apple juice spiced with cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. The name comes from an ancient tradition of the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. It was served from huge bowls that could hold many gallons of liquid.
Why is it called wassail?
The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. The Wassail drink mixture was sometimes called ‘Lamb’s Wool’, because of the pulp of the roasted apples looked all frothy and a bit like Lambs Wool! Here is a recipe for wassail.
What happens at a wassail?
Wassailing is an annual tradition which involves blessing orchards to ensure a good harvest for the year to come. The celebrations involve music, song, dancing and a recognition of what orchards give to us.
Is wassail German?
What is Wassail? Wassail is a traditional German drink made with apple cider, citrus of some form, and winter herbs.
Is wassailing a pagan?
Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition that has been practised in Britain for centuries. It has its roots in a pagan custom of visiting orchards to sing to the trees and spirits in the hope of ensuring a good harvest the following season.
How do you wassail?
Depending upon the area of the country where you lived, the wassail drink itself would generally consist of a warmed ale, wine or cider, blended with spices, honey and perhaps an egg or two, all served in one huge bowl and passed from one person to the next with the traditional “wassail” greeting.
Does wassail contain alcohol?
Wassail is a sweet, spiced alcoholic drink made from hot apple cider. The earliest recipes included a mix of hot mead or ale, spices, and crab apples. Later recipes include citrus, apple juice, and hard alcohol such as brandy or rum. The drink is associated with winter holidays and festivals.
Is wassail a pagan?
It has its roots in a pagan custom of visiting orchards to sing to the trees and spirits in the hope of ensuring a good harvest the following season. During the visit a communal wassail bowl – filled with a warm spiced cider, perry or ale – would be shared amongst revellers.
How do you celebrate 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.
Does wassail go bad?
You can make it ahead, refrigerate it and reheat as necessary. Wassail keeps well for 4-5 days.
How old is wassailing?
The earliest accounts of wassailing fruit trees come from the East of England—in St Albans in 1486 and Kent in 1585. But it isn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that the wassail truly comes to prominence.
What are the two types of wassailing?
There are two distinct variations of wassailing. 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.
What do you eat with wassail?
While wassail may not be a good food pairing, it is cockle-warming enjoyed by itself, or with dessert-type sweet fruit-based baked items, like apple pie, cherry tarts and maybe even beignets. Chocolate is not an ideal pairing, but could work depending on the sweetness level of the chocolate.
Where does wassail drink come from?
Britain
The term “wassail” can trace its origins to pre-Christian Britain. Anglo-Saxon tradition included a New Year celebration in the halls of the Lord of the Manor, including a mighty feast with a giant bowl of a sort of punch: a mix of cider, ale and mead infused with bountiful spices and crab apples.
Can wassail be reheated?
You can keep wassail hot by warming it on the stove in a large pan. If you are serving wassail for a party, a large crock pot (like this one) works well to keep your wassail warm. That said, wassail is still tasty to drink when cold – and can easily be reheated in the microwave in individual mugs.
Should wassail be refrigerated?
Serve it very warm like you would tea. You can make it ahead, refrigerate it and reheat as necessary. Wassail keeps well for 4-5 days.
How long can you keep wassail in the fridge?
Store leftover wassail in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in the microwave, stovetop or slow cooker.
Can you save wassail?
What does wassail taste like?
A hot cup of homemade Wassail is one of my favorite holiday drinks. It’s a delicious hot cider drink that combines the flavors of orange and apple with cinnamon and spices.
What does the word wassail mean in English?
Wassail—or mulled cider —is a delicious fall and winter tradition that’s especially made around Christmastime in a number of European countries. Roughly translated from Old English or Old Norse, the word means “be hale,” or be hearty and healthy—a well-wishing sentiment that was spread when townsfolk would go wassailing during the apple harvest.
Which is the correct description of the tradition of wassailing?
The tradition of wassailing (alt sp wasselling) falls into two distinct categories: The house-visiting wassail and the orchard-visiting wassail. The house-visiting wassail is the practice of people going door-to-door, singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts.
Where does the wassail take place in the UK?
At Carhampton, near Minehead, the Apple Orchard Wassailing is held on Old Twelfth Night (17 January) as a ritual to ask the gods for a good apple harvest. The villagers form a circle around the largest apple tree, hang pieces of toast soaked in cider in the branches for the robins, who represent the ‘good spirits’ of the tree.
When was Wassail first used as a drink?
By the 13th century, wassail was being used for the drink itself, and it eventually came to be used especially of a hot drink (of wine, beer, or cider with spices, sugar, and usually baked apples) drunk around Christmastime. This beverage warmed the stomachs and hearts of many Christmas revelers and was often shared with Christmas…
