A Different Type of Holiday: Part 2: Preparations

This is wassail.

This morning I woke up with a purpose, to make wassail for tonight's/tomorrow morning's lunar eclipse/full moon ritual. Wassail is a traditional Yule/Winter Solstice drink. Variants are common in all aspects and faiths during this time. It is a spiced cider of sorts.

Wassail(sounds like "Fossil") was used for many centuries when people went "wassailing". Here is some information.

The tradition of wassailing (pronounced to rhyme with fossil-ing)is hardly a new one. In centuries past, wassailers went from door to door, singing and drinking to the health of their neighbors. The concept actually harkens back to pre-Christian fertility rites -- only in those ceremonies, villagers traveled through their fields and orchards in the middle of winter, singing and shouting to drive away any spirits that might inhibit the growth of future crops. As part of this, they poured wine and cider on the ground to encourage fertility in the crops.

Sounds much like caroling, doesn't it?

Wassail was originally a word that meant to greet or salute someone -- groups would go out wassailing on cold evenings, and when they approached a door would be offered a mug of warm cider or ale.

Here is a basic Wassail recipe, I am making it now. I did not use a crock pot, mine was not large enough to handle all I am making. You should recognize this pot from two days ago, as it held my homemade marinara. (Which, just so you know, was absolutely amazing!)

Cook Time: 3 hours, 00 minute
Ingredients:

* 1 Gallon apple cider
* 2 C. cranberry juice
* 1/2 C honey
* 1/2 C sugar
* 2 oranges
* Whole cloves
* 1 apple, peeled and diced
* Allspice
* Ginger
* Nutmeg
* 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
* 1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)

Preparation:

Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.

Wassail Recipe Website

The History and Songs of Wassailing

Wassail, wassail all over the town
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown,
We bring a bowl made of the white maple tree,
and with the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!
-First stanza of the Gloucestershire Wassail