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 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.
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”).
Who sang Here we come a wassailing?
Kate RusbyHere We Come A‐Wassailing / Artist
Who wrote the song Here we come a wassailing?
William MathiasHere We Come A‐Wassailing / Composer
What are the two types of wassailing?
There are two distinct variations of wassailing. One involves groups of merrymakers going from one house to another, wassail bowl in hand, singing traditional songs and generally spreading fun and good wishes.
Where does the custom of wassail come from?
The term “wassail” can trace its origins to pre-Christian Britain. Anglo-Saxon tradition included a New Year celebration in the halls of the Lord of the Manor, including a mighty feast with a giant bowl of a sort of punch: a mix of cider, ale and mead infused with bountiful spices and crab apples.
What does Waes Hael mean?
be in good health
Anglo-Saxon tradition dictated that at the beginning of each year, the lord of the manor would greet the assembled multitude with the toast waes hael, meaning “be well” or “be in good health”, to which his followers would reply drink hael, or “drink well”, and so the New Year celebrations would start with a glass or …
How do you celebrate wassail?
What generally happens is that pieces of toast soaked in cider are placed around the oldest or finest tree in the orchard, cider is poured round the base then shot guns are fired into the upper branches, buckets are beaten and a general cacophony of noise made to scare away evil spirits and wake the sleeping trees.
Where did the drink wassail come from?
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’.
What is the tradition of wassail?
Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition that has been practised in Britain for centuries. It has its roots in a pagan custom of visiting orchards to sing to the trees and spirits in the hope of ensuring a good harvest the following season.
Who sings Here we Come Come A-Wassailing?
Performed by the U.S. Army Band Chorus. Here We Come A-wassailing (or Here We Come A-caroling) is an English traditional Christmas carol and New Year song, apparently composed c. 1850.
What are the words to the song Wassail?
Lyrics Lyrics to The Wassail Song. Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green; Here we come a-wand’ring So fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail too; And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year And God send you a Happy New Year.
What is the difference between Wassail and a-Ling?
The old English wassail song refers to ‘ wassailing ‘, or singing carols door to door wishing good health, while the a- 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”).
What is another name for Here we Come A-Caroling?
The carol is also known as Here We Come A-wassailing. Here We Come A-caroling is a variation of the carol in which “a-wassailing” is changed to “a-caroling”. The author of the lyrics is unknown.