Celebrating the winter holiday season often includes good company and good drinks, many of which — like wassail — are in high demand only during the last month of the year. Not every Yuletide drink started as a seasonal beverage, though many of these traditional libations can’t shake the association.
Wishing someone “waes hael” is how the spiced and spiked wassail drink got its name. Traditionally celebrated on Twelfth
Night (January 5), the Anglo-Saxon tradition of wassailing was meant either to ensure a good harvest in the new year or to share goodwill and blessings. In the case of the latter, members of the ruling class would serve wassail — a hot spiced drink made from cider, ale, or wine — and wish their guests good health and well-being in the year ahead. Over time, wassailing celebrations went mobile, with groups going house to house with a bowl of the beverage, singing songs, and spreading holiday cheer.
Media Release/InterestingFacts
