| Wassail is an ancient
beverage and toast coming from the time in England when the Saxon
lords and ladies cried out “waes hael,” meaning “Be of good health.”
Originally, wassail was a beverage made of mulled ale, curdled
cream, roasted apples, nuts, eggs, and spices. In some parts of
Britain it is still customary to perform the tradition, though the
type of ceremony performed varies from one region to the next. As a
result, no one knows exactly how many types of wassailing ceremonies
exist; however, three of the most popular are wassail in the hall,
wassail door to door and wassail in the orchards |
Here we
come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.
Chorus
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.
We are not
daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,
But we are neighbor's children
Whom you have seen before.
Chorus
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.
We have a
little purse
Made of ratching leather skin;
We want some of your small change
To line it well within.
Chorus
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.
God bless
the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.
Chorus
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.
|