wassail
noun
[ ˈwɒseɪl ]
• spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve.
• "a mighty bowl of wassail in which the apples were hissing and bubbling"
wassail
verb
• drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.
• "he feasted and wassailed with his warriors"
• go from house to house at Christmas singing carols.
• "here we go a-wassailing"
Origin:
Middle English wæs hæil ‘be in (good) health!’: from Old Norse ves heill (compare with hail2). The drinking formula wassail (and the reply drinkhail ‘drink good health’) were probably introduced by Danish-speaking inhabitants of England, and then spread, so that by the 12th century the usage was considered by the Normans to be characteristic of Englishmen.
