I am sure many (if not all) are familiar with the Christmas carol that begins, “Here we come a-wassailing / among the leaves so green.” If not there is a video below to remind you – or introduce you to the song. But what is a “wassail” and how does one go about “wassailing”? Our friends at Merriam-Webster have the answer to those questions!

To wassail is to sing carols (popular songs or ballads of religious joy) from house to house at Christmas; the verb is usually used in the phrase “go wassailing.” As a noun, wassail can refer to (among other things) a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, as well as spices, sugar, and usually baked apples. Wassail is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime.

Wassailing is an old custom that goes back to the 1300s. The verb wassail comes from the noun wassail, which dates to the 1200s and was first used to refer to an Old English custom of hospitality. In medieval England, a courteous host would offer a cup to a guest and toast them with the salutation wæs hæil, or “be in good health.” The guest would accept the cup and respond with drinc hæil, “drink in good health.” Soon, wassail was also being applied to the party at which the wassail was offered, as well as the actual drink passed around. By the 1400s, it was used to refer specifically to a drink served at Christmastime. As the drink became associated with yuletide, wassailing itself changed. The meaning of the verb wassail as it shows up in the carol refers to going around, caroling, and wishing those you visit good health and holiday cheer.