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4 unusual facts about Wassail


Wassail

In 2004, the Alternative Christmas message was presented by The Simpsons who close out with a cup of "traditional British wassail".

Irish antiquarian Charles Vallancey proposed that the name "lambswool" was a corruption of the name of a pagan Irish festival, "Lamas Ubhal", during which a similar drink was had.

At Carhampton, near Minehead, the Apple Orchard Wassailing is held on the Old Twelfth Night (6 January) as a ritual to ask God for a good apple harvest.

Whimple

The Whimple Wassail is an orchard-visiting wassail ceremony and was first mentioned by the Victorian author and folklorist; the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould in his book Devon Characters and Strange Events (published 1908).


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Ashen faggot

Shirley Collins's song the "Ashen Faggot Wassail", on her 1974 Topic album Adieu to Old England, is a celebration of the tradition.

Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas

Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas is a BBC television programme in which wine personality Oz Clarke and comedian Hugh Dennis travel through Britain to sample a wide array of seasonal Christmas beverages, including whisky, winter ales, mulled wine, wassail, sloe gin, Buck's Fizz, Port wine and Sherry.

Yarlington Wassail

The Yarlington Wassail is a Wassail held in the Village of Yarlington, Somerset, England.


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