A Joy of Christmas Past

Photo Courtesy of nblxer

For centuries, wassailing was a popular part of Christmas and New Year celebrations, originating as an ancient Anglo-Saxon tradition in pre-Christian England, combining the act of drinking a warm, spiced beverage (wassail) with a ritualistic blessing of orchards to ensure a good harvest, often occurring around Twelfth Night.

The word “wassail” derives from waes hael, meaning “be in good health,” and the tradition of “wassailing” evolved into two main forms: the orchard blessing in rural areas, where people sang to apple trees to ward off evil spirits; and the house-to-house custom, where merrymakers sang carols and offered wassail (a type of spiced mulled cider) from a communal bowl in exchange for food or money, a practice that contributed to the development of caroling.

While wassailing fell out of popularity during the 19th century, largely replaced by caroling, the act of drinking to the health of friends and family in the festive season has carried on, and is as popular now as it has ever been. In the spirit of Christmas and coming together to celebrate, here is our very own wassail recipe for you to share with your loved ones this season. Let’s all raise a glass to our communal good health!

Wassail (serves 8)
(adapted from the British Museum)

Photo Courtesy of Svetlana

Ingredients:

• 8 cups unfiltered apple cider
• 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 4 whole cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 thinly sliced Honeycrisp apple
• 1 thinly sliced navel orange
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions:

1.  Combine all ingredients except for the fresh fruit in a large pot.
2.  Bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat and continue simmering for 30-45 minutes, then strain.
3.  Add the fresh fruit and ladle into mugs.
4.  Add a splash of spiced rum, brandy, sherry or bourbon for the perfect holiday party punch for the adults.
5. Enjoy!