wassail in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

A Middle English term derived from the Old English "waes haeil ", or "be thou well". The Wassail is a song {% trem_link singing|sung %} at Christmas time recalling the tradition of "wassailing", which is a tradition of going about the town from house to house in the evening at Christmas time, singing at the doors of all the neighbors, wishing them a good New Year and asking them for a treat (usually the treat was a spiced drink, also known as a "wassail"). This tradition is something of a mix between the modern traditions of caroling and trick-or-treating.

Popular questions related to wassail

toast to someone's health 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.

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'.

The word wassail derives from Old Norse ves heill, meaning “be well, and in good health.” The name has come to be generally applied to any bowl from which a toast is drunk, as well as to the actual drink itself.

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; this practice still exists, but has largely been displaced by carol singing.

By wassailing their crops in the winter, it was said to ensure a healthy crop in the spring. As Christianity began to spread, this ritual evolved further into singing and drinking to the health of next season's crops on Twelfth Night; the last night of the traditional Christmas season.

What is wassailing? The purpose is to encourage the spirits into ensuring a good harvest the following season. It takes place on the twelfth night after Christmas and involves a visit to a nearby orchard for singing, dancing, drinking and general merrymaking.

The word 'wassail' comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase 'waes hael', which means 'good health'. Originally, the wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter.

For centuries, wassailing was a popular part of Christmas and New Year celebrations. The word 'wassail' comes from the Old Norse for 'good health', and wassailing generally involved drinking to peoples' health, often while singing about it. Special communal drinking bowls developed.

Many Christmas practices changed or evolved during this time, such as the switch from Wassailing to Caroling, the latter involving more cookies and greetings and far less alcohol. “Waits” was a term originally applied to men who worked as watchmen and sounded each hour of the night by playing their horn.

It was simply a salutation - a toast among drinking buddies celebrating the good health of their friend, the king. Whatever the case, the salute stuck. The word as we know it today, “wassail,” first appears in the 8th century poem “Beowulf”. In the poem, it is again not a drink, but a salute to its warriors.

good health The word 'wassail' comes from the Old Norse for 'good health', and wassailing generally involved drinking to peoples' health, often while singing about it. Special communal drinking bowls developed.