Listening to carols in the car while Christmas shopping last night, Punkinhead and I were struck by the oddity of wassail being both a noun and a verb. I promised I'd do some research and blog about it.
Wassail dates from Old Norse and was originally a toast or greeting meaning (loosely) "to your health." It then progressed to define the actual beverage that was drunk "to your health," usually a spiced wine. And from there to "the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols until paid [usually with food and wine] to go away and leave the occupants in peace." Or more innocuously, "The lord of the manor would give food and drink to the peasants in exchange for their blessing and goodwill... which would be given in the form of the song being sung."
So, sipping my wassail, I wish you wassail when you wassail this holiday season. Got it?
book: Coming Undone by Susan Anderson. Trash, and not very good trash at that.
1 comment:
The way that is the way is not the way.
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