The Second Day to Christmas

       Today we return to wassailing, which we touched on briefly when I discussed the apple tree carol earlier. "Wassail" comes from the old Norse for "good health," and was the practice of going about town with spiced ale and drinking the good health of the people and things you encountered at each house. The wassail bowl was a large wooden affair meant to be drunk out of. The rich would fill their bowls and simply drink the health of those in their own households, while the poor would decorate their bowls and go from house to house seeking to fill it either with money, or food, or drink, or whatever generous souls had on hand. 

        In principle, it was a practice of asking for charity during the Christmas season, but often turned into a bawdy affair with the people getting successively more drunk as the night progressed, and causing a ruckus because of it. Eventually, it became a practice only engaged in by the least respectable members of society, and the Puritans banned it when they removed themselves to America. By the 1800s, wassailing had almost completely died out, being replaced by caroling, but they left behind some excellent songs on the subject, for our especial benefit. 

       Thus, I present to you our one and only non-sacred song selection this year, "Wassail, Wassail All over The Town." This one is old, probably going back to the 1400s at least. The verses vary as they would add in subjects and change them as they saw fit. Here is just one version. I've heard most of the verses they brought up, though a couple were new. Really, this song was designed for making up your own verses as you went along. The first verse, "Our toast it is white, and our ale it is brown," worked rather like a chorus and was the only staple, non versatile verse in the song.

                     

   Notice how they wish the health of the dog, the horse, the cow, and all they can think of. 

        If you go wassailing this Christmas season, friends, maybe go for a non-alcoholic beverage or don't drink at every house, and maybe don't wish health to every living creature you set eyes upon. ;) 

            Let me know what you think of the tradition as well as the song.

      Until Tomorrow,

                  ~ Christianna