Wassail

Wassail
Originally uploaded by linfrye.

In honor of the New Year -- Wassail -- a spiced wine beverage --


Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green.
Here we come a-wassailing
So far to be seen.

Love and joy come to you
And to your wassail too.
And God bless you
And send you a happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year!

And a bit from an article I wrote about the Natural History of the New Year:

Celebrating the New Year is practiced the world over with special foods, ceremonies, parties, proverbs, and resolution-making. The wassail bowl, from the Middle English words, waes haeil, means “to thou well” or “to your health,” and was a long ago custom in which participants drank to one another’s well-being. A mixture of ale, sugar, nutmeg and roasted apples was prepared, and the merry-makers would toast one another just after midnight on New Year’s Eve.

“Wassailing,” another old custom, had the well-wishers going from house to house with their wassail bowl of cheer. In exchange for a toast of the beverage and perhaps a chorus or two of the carol above, they would receive New Year’s gifts of fruit and nuts. In addition to the wassail bowl, the New Year’s visitors would make their calls, carrying sprays of evergreen hung with apples, oranges and ribbons.

And while I wish I could carry good wishes to everyone door-to-door, please let this painting suffice --

HAPPY 2007 EVERYONE!