What is "wassail"

Wassail \Was"sail\, v. i. To hold a wassail; to carouse.

Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing.
--Sir P. Sidney.

Wassail \Was"sail\, n. [AS. wes h[=a]l (or an equivalent form in another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking a health. The form wes is imperative. See Was, and Whole.]

1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one.

   Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king w[ae]s heil, that is, literally, Health be to you.
   --N. Drake.

2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. ``In merry wassail he . . . peals his loud song.''
   --Sir W. Scott.

   The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail.
   --Shak.

   The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and wassail.
   --Prescott.

3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.; -- called also lamb's wool.

   A jolly wassail bowl, A wassail of good ale.
   --Old Song.

4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [Obs.]

   Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy ditty, I'll assure you.
   --Beau. & Fl.

Wassail \Was"sail\, a. Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl. ``Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow.''
--Shak.

Wassail bowl, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed upon the table. ``Spiced wassail bowl.''
--J. Fletcher. ``When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in Christmas festivity.''
--W. Irving.

Wassail cup, a cup from which wassail was drunk.

mid-12c., from Old Norse ves heill "be healthy," a salutation, from ves, imperative of vesa "to be" (see was) + heill "healthy," from Proto-Germanic *haila- (see health). Use as a drinking phrase appears to have arisen among Danes in England and spread to native inhabitants.\n

\nA similar formation appears in Old English wes þu hal, but this is not recorded as a drinking salutation. Sense extended c.1300 to "liquor in which healths were drunk," especially spiced ale used in Christmas Eve celebrations. Meaning "a carousal, reveling" first attested c.1600. Wassailing "custom of going caroling house to house at Christmas time" is recorded from 1742.

n. 1 A toast to health, usually at a festival. 2 The beverage served during a wassail, especially one made of ale or wine flavoured with spices, sugar, roasted apples, etc. 3 revelry. 4 A festive or drinking song or glee. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To toast, to drink to the health of another. 2 (context intransitive English) To drink wassail. 3 To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols.

1. n. a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas

2. v. celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities; "The members of the wedding party made merry all night"; "Let's whoop it up--the boss is gone!" [syn: revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify]

3. propose a toast to; "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year" [syn: toast, drink, pledge, salute]

Wassail ( Old Norse "ves heil", Old English was hál, literally 'be you healthy') is a beverage of hot mulled cider, traditionally drunk as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval German drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year. The name comes from the salute 'Waes Hail', first used as a simple greeting. The later Danish-speaking inhabitants of England seem to have turned "was hail", and the reply "drink hail", into a drinking formula adopted widely by the indigenous population of England.

Wassail is the third official studio EP by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It was released on 1 June 2015 by English Electric Recordings and Burning Shed. It contains three new songs and a live bonus track that originally appeared on The Underfall Yard. The title track also appears on the band's next full-length studio album, Folklore, released the following year, while the other two new songs are included only on the double-LP vinyl release of that album.