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Wassailing Goes Back to Pre-Christian Times in a Tradition Meant to Bring Luck for the Coming Year

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Wassailing Goes Back to Pre-Christian Times in a Tradition Meant to Bring Luck for the Coming Year houses gave them drink, money and Christmas food. Christmas and money drink, them gave houses to the health of those they visited. In return, people in the the in people return, In visited. they those of health the to wassail bowl filled with spiced ale and sang and drank drank and sang and ale spiced with filled bowl wassail regions, the wassailers went from door to door, with a a with door, to door from went wassailers the regions, hael,’ meaning ‘drink and be healthy.’ In cider producing producing cider In healthy.’ be and ‘drink meaning hael,’ ‘waes hael.’ The assembled crowd would reply ‘drinc ‘drinc reply would crowd assembled The hael.’ ‘waes start of each year, the Saxon lord of the manor would shout shout would manor the of lord Saxon the year, each of start Old English term “waes hael,” meaning “be well.” At the the At well.” “be meaning hael,” “waes term English Old to bring luck for the coming year. Wassail gets its name from the the from name its gets Wassail year. coming the for luck bring to Wassailing goes back to pre-Christian times in a tradition meant meant tradition a in times pre-Christian to back goes Wassailing Wassailing goes back to pre-Christian times in a tradition meant to bring luck for the coming year. Wassail gets its name from the Old English term “waes hael,” meaning “be well.” At the start of each year, the Saxon lord of the manor would shout ‘waes hael.’ The assembled crowd would reply ‘drinc hael,’ meaning ‘drink and be healthy.’ In cider producing regions, the wassailers went from door to door, with a wassail bowl filled with spiced ale and sang and drank to the health of those they visited. In return, people in the houses gave them drink, money and Christmas food. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 1 7/19/12 6:17 PM was not a widespread tradition to give each other gifts. other each give to tradition widespread a not was tithe was given to the landowner. Note, however, it it however, Note, landowner. the to given was tithe Christmas Day was also the day on which a gift or or gift a which on day the also was Day Christmas (what we often call marzipan), and gingerbread. gingerbread. and marzipan), call often we (what in 1550), along with plum pudding, march pane pane march pudding, plum with along 1550), in been brought to England from the New World World New the from England to brought been head. You might also have turkey (which had had (which turkey have also might You head. trip to church, followed by a lavish dinner of boar’s boar’s of dinner lavish a by followed church, to trip Christmas Day in the Regency period might start with a a with start might period Regency the in Day Christmas Christmas Day in the Regency period might start with a trip to church, followed by a lavish dinner of boar’s head. You might also have turkey (which had been brought to England from the New World in 1550), along with plum pudding, march pane (what we often call marzipan), and gingerbread. Christmas Day was also the day on which a gift or tithe was given to the landowner. Note, however, it was not a widespread tradition to give each other gifts. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 2 7/19/12 6:17 PM while making a secret wish. wish. secret a making while in a clockwise direction, with eyes shut, shut, eyes with direction, clockwise a in Christ’s crib) is used. The stirring must be be must stirring The used. is crib) Christ’s a special wooden spoon (in honor of of honor (in spoon wooden special a must take a hand in the stirring, and and stirring, the in hand a take must up” on Stir-Up Day. All family members members family All Day. Stir-Up on up” The Christmas pudding is traditionally “stirred “stirred traditionally is pudding Christmas The The Christmas pudding is traditionally “stirred up” on Stir-Up Day. All family members must take a hand in the stirring, and a special wooden spoon (in honor of Christ’s crib) is used. The stirring must be in a clockwise direction, with eyes shut, while making a secret wish. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 3 7/19/12 6:17 PM Christmas get-together. get-together. Christmas popular games played during a Regency Regency a during played games popular Bobbing for apples and charades were were charades and apples for Bobbing Bobbing for apples and charades were popular games played during a Regency Christmas get-together. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 4 7/19/12 6:17 PM aristocrat’s pocket or between courses at a banquet. a at courses between or pocket aristocrat’s were a luxury good, most likely to be found in an an in found be to likely most good, luxury a were of machine innovations, comfits or sugar plums plums sugar or comfits innovations, machine of were time consuming to make. Until the advent advent the Until make. to consuming time were caraway or cardamom seeds at the center. They They center. the at seeds cardamom or caraway Sugar plums, or comfits, were most often made with with made often most were comfits, or plums, Sugar candy called “dragee” or more commonly “comfit.” “comfit.” commonly more or “dragee” called candy “Sugar plums” were not really plums, but a type of of type a but plums, really not were plums” “Sugar “Sugar plums” were not really plums, but a type of candy called “dragee” or more commonly “comfit.” Sugar plums, or comfits, were most often made with caraway or cardamom seeds at the center. They were time consuming to make. Until the advent of machine innovations, comfits or sugar plums were a luxury good, most likely to be found in an aristocrat’s pocket or between courses at a banquet. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 5 7/19/12 6:17 PM by friends and baked in dozens to strengthen the charm. the strengthen to dozens in baked and friends by months of the new year. But the pies must be offered offered be must pies the But year. new the of months Christmas to ensure good luck for the twelve twelve the for luck good ensure to Christmas were eaten every day for the Twelve Days of of Days Twelve the for day every eaten were the leftovers of the Christmas dinner. The pies pies The dinner. Christmas the of leftovers the Night Pie because it was originally made with with made originally was it because Pie Night apples and brandy. This was also called Twelfth Twelfth called also was This brandy. and apples spices, orange peel, goose, tongue, fowls, eggs, eggs, fowls, tongue, goose, peel, orange spices, usually included beef, suet, sugar, raisins, lemons, lemons, raisins, sugar, suet, beef, included usually Mince, or Christmas pie, varied by region, but ingredients ingredients but region, by varied pie, Christmas or Mince, Mince, or Christmas pie, varied by region, but ingredients usually included beef, suet, sugar, raisins, lemons, spices, orange peel, goose, tongue, fowls, eggs, apples and brandy. This was also called Twelfth Night Pie because it was originally made with the leftovers of the Christmas dinner. The pies were eaten every day for the Twelve Days of Christmas to ensure good luck for the twelve months of the new year. But the pies must be offered by friends and baked in dozens to strengthen the charm. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 6 7/19/12 6:17 PM also a traditional day for fox hunting. fox for day traditional a also on the following Monday. Boxing Day was was Day Boxing Monday. following the on Saturday or Sunday, Boxing Day took place place took Day Boxing Sunday, or Saturday the day off, and if December 26 fell on a a on fell 26 December if and off, day the previous year. The servants were often given given often were servants The year. previous good service the day before and during the the during and before day the service good in boxes to their servants on December 26 for for 26 December on servants their to boxes in In Regency time the upper classes presented gifts gifts presented classes upper the time Regency In In Regency time the upper classes presented gifts in boxes to their servants on December 26 for good service the day before and during the previous year. The servants were often given the day off, and if December 26 fell on a Saturday or Sunday, Boxing Day took place on the following Monday. Boxing Day was also a traditional day for fox hunting. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 7 7/19/12 6:17 PM spices, crumbs, flour, eggs, milk and brandy. and milk eggs, flour, crumbs, spices, raisins, currants, citron, lemon and orange peels, peels, orange and lemon citron, currants, raisins, Usual ingredients included suet, brown sugar, sugar, brown suet, included ingredients Usual ingredients, which was boiled in a pudding cloth. cloth. pudding a in boiled was which ingredients, Christmas pudding was a mixture of thirteen thirteen of mixture a was pudding Christmas Christmas pudding was a mixture of thirteen ingredients, which was boiled in a pudding cloth. Usual ingredients included suet, brown sugar, raisins, currants, citron, lemon and orange peels, spices, crumbs, flour, eggs, milk and brandy. SJtableTentsProof3.indd 8 7/19/12 6:17 PM female fertility and as an antidote for poison. for antidote an as and fertility female also used for medicinal purposes to promote promote to purposes medicinal for used also homes to herald good fortune.
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