How to Go Wassailing

Wassailing is an ancient practice of waking and honoring sleeping fruit trees in winter, anointing them with wassail and striking them with sticks in the belief that the following season's harvest would then be assured. Wassail was also a drink given to honor the highest ranking noble of a household, and a sign of peaceful intent.
Wassail is made in great silver or decoratively carved wooden bowls with double handles, similar to the "loving cups" given to the victor of important sporting events.

Things You'll Need

• Silver or carved wooden punch bowl with handles 8 to 10 Gala, Mutsu or Granny Smith apples Dark ale or 1 gallon apple cider 10 cinnamon sticks Whole nutmeg, grated, or 1 tbsp. ground nutmeg 12 eggs, beaten to a froth Cup of honey Satin ribbon in many colors Walking sticks Mini pound cakes Mature fruit tree, preferably apple

Instructions

1. 

   Peel the apples. This should be done by all the unmarried women in the gathering. Each unmarried woman should peel the apple so that the peeling is all one long strand, then throw it behind herself. According to legend, the letter it forms is the first initial of the man she will marry before the end of the next year.

2. 

   Core the apples and throw them into a cast iron pot. Break the eggs into a separate bowl. Whip eggs until frothy, then slowly add honey, continuing to whip the mixture. Add egg mixture to apples.

3. Pour the ale or the cider over the apples, depending whether you want alcoholic or nonalcoholic wassail. Add the cinnamon sticks and grate a whole nutmeg into the pot. Stir until well blended. Bring to a boil over an open fire or on your stove top if you make your wassail indoors. Pour hot wassail into your decorated wassail bowl. Be careful not to spill hot wassail.

4. 

   Tie or sew lengths of satin ribbon to a coat and hat. Decorate a walking staff with carved runes and more satin ribbon. The men gather together at a mature fruit tree to dance around it. The dance should be accompanied by beating on drums, cooking pots, blowing whistles, and singing. Men alternately strike the ground, then the tree, then form a ring around the tree by holding the staff together. One man climbs the tree to place a mini pound cake in its branches. This is repeated at the homes of anyone with a mature fruit tree, taking a drink of wassail at each home.

5. Everyone returns to the host's home, where the men are refused entrance until they guess what is cooking. Everyone celebrates, drinking plenty of wassail and singing carols while the single men kiss all the single girls they can catch under the mistletoe (married men kiss only their wives).

Tips & Warnings

• Wassailing makes a great community event.

• Do not operate machinery while under the influence of wassail.

Resources

• The Wassail Song
• History of Wassailing
• Walkers
• Runic Alphabet