What is wassailing in Christmas song?
The Wassail Song unlike other Christmas carols does not celebrate the nativity. The Wassail Song celebrates the New Year! “Wassail” is an olde English word for a toast similar to “Good Health” and the wassail is the content of the glass or goblet ( spiced or mulled wine or ale).
What does it mean to go wassailing?
The wassailing, or blessing of the fruit trees, involves drinking and singing to the health of the trees in the hope that they will provide a bountiful harvest in the autumn.
What does wassailing mean in English?
Definition of wassail (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.
Who sings Here we come a wassailing?
Chicago
Here We Come a Caroling/Artists
What does wassail mean in Beowulf?
A festivity characterized by much drinking. To engage in or drink a wassail.
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.
Is it bad luck to dance to Christmas carols?
Carolling is the old tradition of going to people’s houses and singing Christmas songs for them. Singing Christmas carols at any time other than during the festive season is unlucky.
How Old Is Here we come a wassailing?
History and context. The song dates from at least the mid 19th century, but is probably much older. The a- in “a-wassailing” is an archaic intensifying prefix; compare A-Hunting We Will Go and lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas (e.g., “Six geese a-laying”).
Where does the word wassail come from?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “wassail” originated as a borrowing from the Old Norse salutation ves heill, corresponding to Old English hál wes þú or wes hál – literally meaning ‘be in good health’ or ‘be fortunate’. It was initially used in the sense of ‘hail’ or ‘farewell’.
