Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wandering
So fair 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
Wassailing is a very ancient custom that is rarely done today.
The word 'wassail' comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase 'waes hael', which means 'good health'. Originally, the wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar.
It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter.
