Gloucestershire Wassail

Wassail punch ( 7 pints of brown ale , 1 bottle of dry sherry , a cinnamon stick , ground ginger , ground nutmeg , lemon wedges )

Gloucestershire Wassail or after its opening verse: Wassail! wassail! all over the town ( Wassail! Wassail! Over the whole town ) is a traditional English Christmas carol ( Wassail Song ) that probably originated in Gloucestershire .

The song sings about and is part of the old custom of Wassailing (from Middle English wæs hæil ) or caroling from house to house with the wish of good health.

His first stanza reads:

Wassail! wassail! all over the town, Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

In German translation:

Wassail! Wassail! All over town, Our toast, it's white, and our beer, it's brown; Our skin is made of white maple made ; We'll toast you with the Wassailing bowl.

There are many different text versions of the song. The song was arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams , among others .

See also

• Wassail Song
• Somerset Wassail
• The Boar's head carol

Web links

• hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com
• sniff.numachi.com
• Sound samples: a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h , i (Arr.Ralph Vaughan Williams )

Individual evidence

1. ^ Text and music “probably created 18th century” (William E. Studwell: Christmas Carols. A Reference Guide. New York & London 1985, p. 86 (No. 296))
2. ↑ "wassail," in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary < http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wassail%5B2%5D >