Wassail 2019
The tradition goes back a thousand years or more when the greeting “Waes hael” meant “Health be unto you” in Saxon. After the mid-winter celebrations, little could be done on the land, mainly due to the weather. The land would be cold and frozen, so preparations were made to ensure that all would be well in the coming seasons. What we know today as the “Wassail” started as a pagan insurance policy, and it wasn’t just the apple tree that received attention. The oxen and other livestock were wassailed with their health and well being for the coming year toasted in round after round of drinking....
