Wassailing?

Item #1: As I sit at the computer this morning, we are in the midst of the first blizzard of the winter (and, hopefully, last). And with the Holiday season now well underway, it seems appropriate that I write about that most perplexing of all Holiday mysteries: what in the world is wassailing?

I should note, before I get too far along here, that the spelling I have chosen to use for the word wassail is the most commonly accepted version today. In the days when this expression was commonly used, there were a multitude of spellings.

The term wassail was originally used as a salutation when presenting a guest with a cup of liquor, with the earliest recorded use in this manner in 1275 A.D. In formal circumstances, the guest would accept the drink and respond to the host with “drink-hail.” The term also came to mean the liquor in the cup.

The connection to the Christmas Season began later. In a written record dated 1598, wassailing is mentioned as the custom practiced on the twelfth night and on New Year’s Eve of drinking to one’s health from the wassail-bowl. Those who drank from the bowl were termed wassailers. In essence, the wassail-bowl, and the practice of drinking from it, was the forerunner of “Loving Cup” ceremonies, practiced in many fraternities and sororities today. This practice eventually evolved into the custom of preparing a large bowl of spiced liquor (usually ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar) which was carried to the homes of neighbors for sharing.

We have to go almost 150 years further in history to find reference to what most people (at least those of us who ever pause to ponder wassailing) tend to think of when we hear the term wassail. The year 1742 is the first recorded instance of wassailing being the practice of going from home to home during the Christmas season singing carols. Specifically, the Oxford English Dictionary says that is was a common practice among the poor in the English country districts, especially the children, to go “from home to home at Christmas-time singing a song expressive of good wishes for Christmas and the coming year.” Initially, the wassailers (remember they were poor) went about with a box in which they collected money from those they sang to; the premise being that the singers would then use the money to buy liquor to drink to the health of their benefactors.

Eventually, the collecting of money disappeared (though not because there was any shortage of poor) and the practice evolved into simply going from home to home to sing carols and express good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Still, the practice of bestowing alms to the wassailers has continued in spirit, since it is not uncommon for wassailers (or carolers, if you prefer) to receive a warm cup of tea, cider, hot chocolate, or a Holiday snack as an expression of appreciation.

One last footnote here, folks. If you look in dictionaries or usage references nowadays, you are apt to find that the most common meaning of the term wassailing (and its various derivations) today is something along the lines of “drunken carousing or riotous revelry.” Thus, from approximately 1975 to 1985 I was a wassailer. Who knew?

Item #2: On the subject of songs and Christmas, there are two songs that are popular with children at this time of year which have always bothered me. I should say, at the outset, that my own children loved these two songs and when the Holidays came around, Barb and I, were required to serenade the young ones in our house with both of these songs.

The first song is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Now, after the previous item in which I discussed drunken revelry, you may think you know what my complaint is with this song – in this instance, however, you are wrong. My concern is with the message the words to this song deliver to our children.

As we all know, young Rudolph is some sort of mutant whose nose lights up with a red glow. This is certainly odd, but otherwise harmless, until you reach the following portion of the song: “All of the other reindeer / Used to laugh and call him names / They never let poor Rudolph / Join in any reindeer games.” So what we have, folks, is a poor, unfortunate ruminant who is ostracized by his peers for being different.

The story continues and we are told that on one particularly foggy Christmas Eve, Santa (who, for reasons unexplained, allows Rudolph to be tormented) asks Rudolph, and his beacon nose, to guide the sleigh. After a successful voyage, the song continues: “Then all the reindeer loved him / And they shouted out with glee: / Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, / You’ll go down in history!”

In other words, folks, what this song is telling our children is that if you don’t fit in, if you are different from the crowd, the only way you can fit in and be accepted is if you serve some useful (as determined by the crowd) purpose. Yep – lot’s of Christmas spirit in this song!

The other song which bothers me is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Consider the following lyrics: “You better watch out, / You better not cry, / You better not pout / I’m telling you why: / Santa Claus is coming to town.” These lyrics are telling children that Santa doesn’t want them to show emotion. Santa only likes stoics.

The song continues with some serious threats: “He sees you when you’re sleeping. / He knows when you’re awake. / He knows if you’ve been bad or good, / So BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKE!” Does this really sound like Santa Claus to any of you adults out there? Doesn’t this sound more like the stories of Bogey Men?

A long time ago, I wrote a series of columns at this time of year which discussed the evolution of Christmas and Santa Claus. One of the points I made was that Santa, far from being a secular creation, can actually be viewed as a young child’s first introduction into the mysteries of faith and a higher power.

Unfortunately, this song transforms Santa into a wrathful creature whose omniscience is a threat rather than a blessing, which strikes me as terribly Old Testament, and far removed from the loving spirit of the Holiday Season we practice today.

So, in conclusion, I encourage all parents to avoid these two songs and please remember, during this season of Holiday parties and revelry, please don’t wassail and drive. We want you around next year reading each and every issue of the Peninsula Pulse!