What the heck is Wassail?

/ tastinghistory
Pre-order the TASTING HISTORY COOKBOOK: amzn.to/3NKTSaM
Learn more about Mari Lwyd at The Welsh Viking: • Mari Lwyd: The Welsh H...
Tasting History Reads Mean Comments: • 27. Tasting History Re...
Merch ► crowdmade.com/collections/tas...
Instagram ► / tastinghistorywithmaxm...
Twitter ► / tastinghistory1
Tiktok ► TastingHistory
Reddit ► / tastinghistory
Discord ► / discord
Amazon Wish List ► amzn.to/3i0mwGt
Send mail to:
Tasting History
22647 Ventura Blvd, Suite 323
Los Angeles, CA 91364
**Some of the links and other products that appear on this video are from companies which Tasting History will earn an affiliate commission or referral bonus. Each purchase made from these links will help to support this channel with no additional cost to you. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
PHOTO CREDITS
Mari Lwyd: By R. fiend - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Apple Wassail in Devon, England: By Brian Marks - www.flickr.com/photos/beanmun..., CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Twelfth Night Tradition: Glyn Baker and licenced for reuse under cc-by-sa/2.0
Bridport Community Orchard Wassail 2022: Stephen and Helen Jones via Flickr
#tastinghistory #wassail #christmas

[@TastingHistory]

Watch me read mean comments on our other channel - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ3aZoKKp62rh80

[@James35142]

Merry Christmas, Max!

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

Allow me a question: when does the first day of Christmas begin?

[@TastingHistory]

@@carolleenkelmann4751 on December 25th. The twelfth night is January 5th.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I loved the video. We want more compliments read on the other channel, you hunky grandson 😂

[@jessinthegarden]

Saw that one-and I just want to say: we love when you talk! It’s why we watch you! I mean, the history is great too, and you pick such fun foods to try. But it’s you talking, being funny, being authentic… that’s what we love.

[@cristiaolson7327]

A few years ago, the last holiday before my father passed away, I decided to make wassail, just for fun. I steeped sliced apples and pears in a mix of wine and cider with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I served it up at the family gathering at my sister's house. My dad asked what the drink was, and I told him it was wassail and what was in it. He got a cup, took a sip, and his face lit up. He told me my grandmother had made a hot Christmas punch every year when he was younger, and he hadn't been able to recall what it actually was, but I had made the same kind of Christmas punch. She was making wassail all those years. I now make it at Christmas in her and my dad's, memory.

[@MrAngryJarvey]

That’s beautiful.

[@dragonfell5078]

That is the most touching thing I've heard all month Your dad deadass had a memory flashback like Anton Ego in Ratatouille

[@terri200]

So wonderful that you did that and it bring your dad such joy!!💖💖

[@katate13]

That’s so nice, thanks for sharing!

[@zxyatiywariii8]

Thank you, what a beautiful memory!

[@craigsurette3438]

Thankyou for doing this! I am a cider brewer, from a long long line of cider brewers of English and Acadian descent, and every 12thnight I will always go out to our trees and make Wassail offerings and sing to them to thank them and my Ancestors for our bountiful harvest. Thankfully, I havent been arrested for public drunk and disorderly ...yet...

[@MichaelOKC]

What is funny is that my Grandfather had an apple orchard and he did indeed brew extremely good cider... but as far as I know, he never made Wassail offerings! But then again, I was a child , so maybe he did and I just never heard about it! Lol

[@chuckwilliams6261]

Can I assume your wassail is made from your cider? (hold the chunks)

[@QophSilrahq]

I don't see myself singing to a tree, but I appreciate that someone out there is carrying on this tradition.

[@craigsurette3438]

@@chuckwilliams6261 Yes, i make my Wassail with my own cider, pressed from apples from those trees. I have a couple of recipes that I use, and I tend to spike it with applejack brandy instead of just beer or wine. I see the whole process as a way of "closing the loop" of acknowledging where my food comes from, and giving reverence where reverence is due "Thankyou , trees for giving us these apples we make these tasty things with. Have some of this goodness back, so we can keep doing this another year !"

[@Druklet]

Treebeard approves of this!

[@davidwoolsey2135]

Went to our annual Ugly Sweater Christmas Party last night. The host made this, and I brought a dozen half-wine- bottles of Smoking Bishop as take-home gifts for guests, which I'd made the day before. The Wassail was a hit, and the Smoking Bishop (from an episode of Tasting History with Max Miller) was also a triumph. When the Wassail was done the guests chose not to wait until Christmas Day and opened the Smoking Bishop, heating it up in mugs. Thanks Max

[@brianaschmidt910]

That either means the drinks were really tasty, or there was THAT person in attendance. I'm guessing it was the former.

[@lucasmcinnis5045]

I'm proud that my family has kept up our Wassail tradition, even if they forgot where it came from, it's one of the few things that connect our family to our historic past Our Wassail is cider, cranberry juice, orange slices, and spices

[@naturalist10000]

Sounds like a virgin smoking bishop, gonna have to try it.

[@darnstewart]

@@naturalist10000 it's not virgin, British Cider is always hard Cider anything else is apple juice. I'm assuming you mean alcohol free by virgin.

[@naturalist10000]

@@darnstewart yes I did, American so I l'm use to Hard-Cider = Alcoholic Cider

[@Julie-xo9et]

Do you heat that up.

[@lucasmcinnis5045]

@@Julie-xo9et Yeah we do it in a crockpot for convenience

[@sabelsmith9757]

When I was in highschool, I was in a group called the Madrigals. It was only 6 of us, but we sang historical holiday songs, and my favorite was called Wassail! In that song the line went, "Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown, our bowl it is made of the white maple tree, to the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee!" I've been trying to find a recipe for Wassail since then. I'm so glad that now I have one, and it's from my favorite cooking show on KZbin. Wassail!

[@akaripinex7531]

Welcome to the family madrigal 😄

[@bridgetanne8242]

I love that carol!

[@tyrant-den884]

Encanto must have been a mind blower for you.

[@3mberrose588]

I know that one! Im in a similar group called the Polyfoniks (yes thats how its spelled) and its called glouchestershire wassail. We have a trip diring this time of year where we go to “dickens ok the strand” im glaveston, texas (think renessaince festival but a Christmas story)

[@SPLuvr]

@@3mberrose588 We have the Dickens Christmas Fair here in the California Bay Area! A bunch of my friends perform there (I also did, once or twice) and the Wassail song is one of their staples! I was singing it in my head as Max read the lyrics 😁

[@NaughtyAelf]

Quick note - medieval bread was considerably denser than modern, and holds up better to being soaked after toasting. The grains used would have been einkorn, emmer, spelt, rye, oats, or a combination of them. Lower in gluten and really dense as well as being tasty.

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

Don't forget barley! Of which an excellent bread can be made. I absolutely love the stuff

[@vickisnemeth7474]

Would they have been like fire cakes or hoe cakes?

[@Naturallystated]

And perhaps it was made like bagels so it could have a skin and float.

[@azraelvrykolakas157]

I was wondering if he uses sliced bread to get the toast cause that can't possibly resemble closely what our ancestors had.

[@naerwyn239]

Also, you can use cake, as in the song!

[@waddlespire]

My family's wassil is a mix of apple cider, orange juice, cranberry juice, and lemonade. We cook it in a percolating coffee pot with allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in the basket. My dad says he got it from a church group he used to go to, so that probably explains the lack of ale.

[@seasea12]

Thanks for sharing this!! I was looking for a kidsafe version.

[@Rick-cx1yr]

This was pretty much the same recipe my mother made when I was a kid. She cooked it in a slow cooker and served hot.

[@missvidabom]

“It’s strong toast,” made me burst out laughing. Merry Christmas, Max, Jose, Cersei, and Jaime!

[@josephlance1198]

My family does Wassail almost every year, although since we don’t drink alcohol we usually just use regular old apple cider.

[@nenben8759]

@@josephlance1198 I've made it from apple cider and cranberry juice

[@luxitos2867]

First thing came to mind was Moira Rose: "Oh John there's no booze in that. Ew. Ewwwww..."

[@seldomplayed6279]

I feel like the hard tack would’ve been a better thing to soak the wassail in because sitting in the bottom of a bowl of wassail probably would’ve been enough to soften those things.

[@fugithegreat]

right, I think a very hard piece of extra stale bread would have been better. Also, many store-bought breads contain dough conditioners that become really gloopy when exposed to liquid, so that's a real nope from me.

[@mcnutty8037]

"Hard tack" *Click click*

[@lilpsyche6971]

I was thinking at least a dryer, smaller bubbles, firm, crispy crust bread like baguette or ciabatta

[@aprilhelms6141]

I had a similar thought. Store-bought bread is really light and porous. A homemade bread is a lot more dense (having made a few loaves myself).

[@sarahgilliss3503]

CLACK CLACK

[@earthiswatching]

My understanding of Mari Lwyd is it's basically a rap battle with a skeletal horse for beer and cheese.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

I have never though of it like that, but it is a very apt description. I think it is something often overlooked by historians, but European history is full of these verbal battles, riddles and insults. the Saxons would have contests at their boozy feasts to see who could come up with the best insults, and Shakespeare is bursting with verbal duels. I think the Mari Lywd goes back to Pagan times when the heroes and heroines, even gods, had to 'outwit 'beings of the Otherworld to gain access to places of privilege, or wisdom. It makes perfect sense that in a totally vocal l world, verbal dexterity and the 'gift of the gab' would be much prized

[@MrThinktank84]

Your not wrong

[@ZankaZe1]

Sounds pretty great to me.

[@fefniir]

Epic Rap Battle!!

[@toastman1992]

And with that, I hereby decree this the best holiday tradition.

[@patrickbroome5427]

Interesting fact re:crab apple availability, they are actually frequently used in my region in commercial parking lots as tree cover in medians, and you will often find people gathering the crab apples for use cooking later, so they are around at times

[@owellafehr5191]

I have apple crisp baking in the oven while I'm watching this, so at 12:47ish when Max says "it smells really good," my instinctive thought was "yeah, it does!" before I remembered you can't smell something through a computer screen. 😆

[@writerinrwanda]

I've been wassailing in the Cotswolds ☺ We poured libations on the trees, smacked pots to frighten away mischievous spirits, and hung slices of bread from the branches. It's supposed to ensure a good crop in the coming year, but it also feeds the birds, I guess 🤷‍♀ Then we got very drunk. Five stars - would recommend.

[@lulumoon6942]

Super!

[@joewellfair8238]

Where abouts in the Cotswolds? That sounds great

[@writerinrwanda]

​@@joewellfair8238 I'm really sorry. It was years ago. Somewhere on a farm near Bath. I think there's a few public wassailing events in the area that get advertised.

[@benberlin57]

If I save enough money to travel across the pond again I'd love to check out a Wassail.

[@mandalorfortytwo4557]

Thanks for taking the "punishment"... Here's your reward! 🤗 Happy Holidays to you and yours!!! We look forward to many more Tastings of History!!!

[@TastingHistory]

Wow! Thank you so much Mandalor. Also, love the screen name.

[@Fairfax40DaysforLife]

I love how you always follow the recipe even if you think it's weird and not very promising. That kind of historic dedication is appreciated. And the guy below is right, Medieval bread was probably denser and would come out more like a spiced cake instead of just mush.

[@ewhitmo1]

Our elementary school teacher taught us the wassailing song and gave us a little lesson on what going wassailing was. I still remember it ☺️ "here we come a'wassailing among the leaves so green! Here we come a'wandering so fair to be seen! Love and joy come to you! And to you glad Christmas too! And God bless you and send you a happy new year! And God send you a happy new year"

[@carolynallisee2463]

The practice of Wassailing apple trees still happens in the cider producing counties here in England. As Max described, it is a winter ritual, with rhymes spoken, bits of bread or toast soaked in cider left in the branches of the trees, and guns fired through the branches of the trees to scare off the malignant spirits rather than singing, though that happens too.

[@mwater_moon2865]

Interestingly enough, pouring alcohol on the trees directly may actually help them. See ethanol and menthol (which can occur in high quantities in home fermented cider, which is why a bad batch can make folks "crazy") will stunt the growth of plants and shrubs, making them more compact. That's why if you're forcing bulbs in a vase or pot you're supposed to add a tich of vodka when the leaves are a good length, to keep them from getting to leggy and tipping the vase over. A tree spending less effort on growing wood is going to have more energy for fruit, the branches will be thicker and sturdier to bear it's weight better even if it gets stormy, and that fruit will be closer to the ground for picking.

[@djdissi]

@@mwater_moon2865 that is super interesting!

[@Cooe.]

Lol what guns? This is the modern UK we're talking about here. Personal firearm ownership is practically non-existent. Your wassail stories seem about 100 years out of date from back when people still had at least some actual freedom instead of the ridiculous anti-freedom, pro-censorship nanny state that Britain is today.

[@rundeep1969]

Spent some college years in Somerset and remember the wassailling ceremonies well, very very fond (slightly drunken 😁) memories

[@thekaratekid02]

In my opinion, this sort of content is exactly what KZbin is meant for. Your videos are so unique, but also extremely polished. Love the channel.

[@ladygrey9455]

We've had a version of the drink in my family for generations. For Thanksgiving my niece who is 13 made it for her dad's family. When she told me I was like "our sacred family recipe?! Shame!" I honestly thought she knew I was teasing her. Apparently she went to bed crying thinking she had made this huge mistake for sharing our hot punch recipe. I felt terrible for days. I made it earlier this month because it was comforting and I was ill, she made this huge show of covering my eyes for the "sake of tradition".

[@marilynrowland5197]

An apology was in order! You made your niece cry! You should have said, "Just kidding!" immediately after the words came out of your mouth. Why didn't you commend her instead? How old was she? How old are you?

[@ladygrey9455]

You are correct, I did owe her an apology. She did great honestly, it was delicious. She's 14 now and I'm 36. I think she was just nervous. She does not get to spend a lot of time with that side of her family because they live all over the country and she wanted to do something special for them. Again I must stress I really was just teasing her and I had no idea she was even upset at all until her mom told me the next day. I forget how hard it is being a teen. Her and I are pretty close, so I think that's why she took it so hard. We made a pumpkin pie together next day which is her favorite. We've also made this punch a few more times since then and she covers my eyes every time to protect the 'secret'. It's joke now and I'm glad for that but I do wish I handled it differently. Thank you sincerely for being upset on her behalf.

[@kellyradtke4885]

I attended a tiny rural school in Montana that was for k-12. One year our music teacher got really creative and we (the highschool students) hosted a traditional wassail Christmas program. We set up tables and decorated the gym then sang and served (non-alcoholic, non chunky) wassail to our parents and the community. I remember it being really cool but we never did it again so maybe it wasn't well received anyway thanks for the fun memory 🙂

[@susandickerson2663]

Probably well received but a lot of work!! I had the same experience w a church choir. Apparently I sang in it the last year they did it. Was so much work that (I believe it was the women's group) stopped doing it. We even had a bore's head on a platter brought in whilst we sang about it☺️

[@someonehere7846]

Well, if it´s non alcoholic then it´s not wassail or traditional. It´s nice for children and I appreciate all the work you put into it but you should not invite grown ups if you only prepare drinks for children. Most likely that´s why it wasn´t well received as you put it.

[@LadyBeyondTheWall]

@@someonehere7846 Considering you can't legally have alcohol at all on school property, if it were up to you no adults would go to fund raisers or school functions at all since literally everything would be "drinks for children", lol.

[@rachelcech2233]

@@someonehere7846 What about people who suffer anaphylactic shock when drinking alcohol?

[@someonehere7846]

@@rachelcech2233 These people normally don´t drink alcohol anyway. There are alternatives without alcohol.

[@cmschmidt]

I have to believe that by the time you make it to the bottom of a wassail vessel you don’t really care what the toast tastes like because you’re toasted too! Blessed Yuletide Max, Jose, Jamie, and Cerci! 🥂🍷🍺

[@lisaspikes4291]

I suspect the term toasted may also have come from wassail traditions!

[@LilA-zl6tf]

@@lisaspikes4291 Now, when you say that.... 😄

[@Getpojke]

I used to take part & join in the Wassailing when I lived down in Southern England. More often than not it was made with local pressed cider in the places I lived. I have had lambs wool too though. They used to joke it got its fame as you'd wake up feeling distictlt fuzzy the next day; like lambs wool. The little yeasted cakes had been given a glaze of egg yolk while cooking. So they floated & didn't get too soggy.

[@hawkatsea]

do the yeasted cakes have a name or recipe? We always just float apple and orange slices, but I'd like to try to sneak in some yeast cakes for a change

[@VaveeDances]

Thanks for another remarkable year of content! Wassail to you and José…and the kitties 🐱

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you, Val! The kitties appreciate you 😁

[@trisharaichatterjee2578]

When I was young, I had a really good friend. His name is Jonathan I forget his last name but he was a classmate of mine. He had to Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and finally passed away in 2014. His mom would make this every Christmas and it was the go to drink for, our classroom Christmas party I do terribly missed particular memory, and I remember being obsessed with saying the word wassail repetitively so every time a sept it, I said the word because it seemed quite the interesting word to roll out of my mouth I remember writing it as a greeting and then remembering to myself wait, why are they using the word as a greeting isn’t just a drink Jonathan’s mom just to make every Christmas party I also used to have this at a Tutoring Center, Costco tutoring center if I remember properly or am I perhaps confused with the location it’s been quite a few years 20 to be precise. I thank you for covering the subject. It brings me a great bit of festivities 🥳

[@gwenchadwick780]

I think part of the problem with the toast is you used a modern sliced bread. Which tend to go mushy very quickly and then fall apart. If you used a traditional sourdough or rye you might have had less sog.

[@IPutThisUsernameHere]

Modern store bread in the US tends to be very soft and spongy, so any liquid turns it to mush. It's why it's perfect for making sorta souffle. A heavier or heartier country style loaf or homemade wheat bread would probably work better. Or you could use cider donuts!

[@alexisgrunden1556]

A couple slices of French baguette left out for a day or three to toughen up would soften nicely in some wassail~

[@herewardfeldwick8230]

I live in Somerset, England, and can confirm my parents have a few apple trees and they go and wassail them every winter. And Mulled Cider is a popular winter drink across the UK, which is hard cider served hot and spiced, so it's basically that 18th century wassail cup. These traditions are alive today!

[@hellspawn22001]

Very glad Max used Ale. It’s nice for those of us who don’t care for wine to have an alternative holiday drink.

[@ConniJo]

If you don't like mulled wine (Glühwein in Germany), maybe try what I do (since I don't like wine either): Kinderpunsch (children's punch) consisting of fruit juice (I use cherry, apple and grape) heated with the usual mulled wine spices like cinnamon, sliced orange and such, and then when it's done just put in your preferred liquor ( I like Cointreau or Liquor 43, but I think also Rum and stuff would work), plus, if there are kids (or recovering alcoholics), you can mix the alcohol in the cups in so you don't need an extra pot for the alcohol free version ☺️

[@AnniCarlsson]

​@@ConniJo black currant is really good qs well

[@ConniJo]

@@AnniCarlsson yes! Thank you, I forgot the English word for that so I left it out xD

[@grimdarhk]

I mean butter beer works

[@jakeaurod]

What about cider or cherry wine?

[@peabody1976]

Toast? That's traditional. But I'm going to bring it up: I wonder how this would taste if you put hardtack **clack clack** in it instead. :) Thank you for a great Christmas episode and Merry Christmas, Max (and Jose, and Jaime)!

[@prcervi]

i don't know if hardtack would be the right thing but certainly a tougher loaf then that, maybe a nice crusted pumpernickel?

[@194californiagirl]

I grew up in Utah so alcoholic Christmas drinks unfortunately aren't a family tradition of mine but my family always bought the Stephen's Wassil mix which is extremely sweet! This version sounds a lot better because you can actually taste the spices and not just the sugar. Maybe I'll make a non-alcoholic homemade wassil for my family this Christmas 😊

[@gigitastic90]

two of my favorite authors Seanan Mcguire and and Ursula Vernon did a virtual Mari Lwyd rhyme off on twitter last year with Seanan playing the part of Mari Lwyd begging to be let in for a bit of cheese. a Mari Lywd also is a part of the second book in a delightful middle grade book series Greenglass House. (also the title of the first book). The first two stories take place at Christmas time in a smugglers inn in a fictional town and feature a group of strangers telling stories each night while the son of the inn keepers Milo and his new friend (in the first book at least) unravel strange goings on. Both are delightful reads for this time of year even if they are technically for middle school age kids. My local librarian recommended them to me and I loved them.

[@Min-ke6zc]

Oh, I love that tradition of theirs! Iirc, they do it every year, and Ursula and Seanan's writing is always such a treat to read.

[@rachelwitherspoon4394]

Bless you Max, the face you made when eating the toast was EVERYTHING I expected 😂. That looked pure nasty, and you're a brave lad for trying it!!!!

[@cdey8512]

"It's *strong* toast" is my favorite line this time! I wouldn't have tried it.

[@catherinebormann2992]

That is probably the best use for hard tack yet

[@mary-janereallynotsarah684]

Looked good to me.

[@asmith8692]

One of my maternal grandmother's favorite things to serve while someone was sick was toast soaked in hot milk aka milktoast. I am fairly certain my mom made the exact same face that Max did every time she was served that. Gave me a really good idea of why being considered milktoast was an insult when I saw how the wassail toast glooped back into the bowl.

[@nobbie01]

Back home in Guatemala there's a tradition of making christmas punch, which is just a bunch of fruits both fresh (apples, pears, pineapples, quinces) and dried (apricots, prunes, raisins), a tiny bit of sugar, spices (cinnamon, allspice, clove, cardamom) and rum, all steeped together for about an hour or so. It's quite lovely and a hit whenever I bring it to potlucks here in the States, when I'd describe what it was to people, they'd always mention "oh it's like wassail!", now I know what they meant :D

[@jldisme]

Max - I made Wassail this Christmas, based on your recipe. I couldn't get ale in rural West Virginia, so I used 2 bottles of Bundaberg Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) and 2 bottles of Angry Orchard hard cider. I used 3 granny smith apples, 1/4 c. brown sugar (the ginger beer is sweet), 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger from a tube, 1/8 teaspoon of mace for a more medieval flavor, I tossed a cinnamon stick in the pot before heating. I made my applesauce in a high-speed blender (added enough ginger beer to get a good puree). It was AMAZING! My family loved it.

[@alexandraabraham6698]

As a hardened, true Brit (with a hefty dose of Italian thrown into the mix) I always understood this word to be pronounced Wass-say-el... not 'Wassle'.... But then, Americans and the British have always been "Two English nations divided by a common language"... XD Merry Christmas Max, Jose - and everyone who's a die-hard fan of yours, as am I!

[@h.b.4058]

I can imagine the "toast" might have been like 10 day old baguette type bread, were the soak might change it from a brick to merely chewable, versus a yucky slop mess. I laughed so hard when you took a drink. Something about the plaid shirt (which I love) made it look like your arm was foreshortened. T-rex wassailing.

[@sunwiitch]

this is the impression i got too, there's definitely a missing piece in this bit about the toast. maybe it could also have been a hard biscuit or something to that effect that would be intended by a "cake"

[@WyattRyeSway]

Wow HB, your comment made me literally laugh out loud. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MatthewSpencerKociol]

Definitely agree. I imagine, that you would have to use the heel of a very crusty bit of stale bread, something that could handle being in the bottom of a punch bowl for a good hour or so. you say baguette but I imagine the hard bottom of a round boule would be more fun, since it would probably fill the bottom of the bowl perfectly.

[@coltdecult3148]

I think its just so interesting just how many Victorian holiday traditions stem in paganism. It would be awesome to have an episode just do a deep dive into how that sort of thing happened.

[@lisakilmer2667]

You might try to find works by Ronald Hutton, a professor at Bristol who deals with exactly that kind of thing. He's a guest on a lot of BBC documentaries.

[@mwater_moon2865]

Mostly the Victorians got it from the folks in the middle ages who tried to Christianize all the pagan practices so people wouldn't mind switching to Christianity as much. And then the Victorians just ret-coned what they were doing to clean it up. What's interesting to ME is how many of the pagan traditions actually worked/made sense. Like, interestingly enough, pouring alcohol on the trees may have actually helped them. See ethanol and menthol (both in high quantities in the tag ends of cider, which is likely what was poured out) will stunt the growth of plants and shrubs, making them more compact. That's why if you're forcing bulbs in a vase or pot you're supposed to add a tich of vodka when the leaves are a good length, to keep them from getting to leggy and tipping the vase over. A tree spending less effort on growing wood is going to have more energy for fruit, the branches will be thicker and sturdier to bear it's weight better even if it gets stormy, and that fruit will be closer to the ground for picking.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

​@@lisakilmer2667 I would not recommend Hutton to anyone. There are much better sources available. As for Victorian traditions stemming from Paganism, they mostly Don't. They invented them. You need to dig around in old villages and existing traditions around Europe to find out how far they Really go back. The Mari Lywd Appears to be 'genuine' but it was first recorded in 1800.Which doesn't mean much, because the 'elite' weren't too bothered about what their peasants got up to, as long as they made Them money, and as they were illiterate, it had to wait for some curious clergyman or 'wealthy person' to record it.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

​@@mwater_moon2865 That's really interesting, I did not know that, thanks. I do know that our rural ancestors did not waste time or energy on doing things that did not work, but I sort of assumed they were giving the lifeblood back to the tree, if that makes sense. .I did not know that scientifically it is sound.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

@@gwennorthcutt421 I know? But you are correct.

[@honeycaffena4897]

Idea suggestion for the new year celebrations- PLEASE do a “bloopers” collaboration of the last year videos!!! 🤣 would enjoy the laughs

[@mcfarvo]

Will Vinton circa 1987 asked and answered this very question in the best Claymation Christmas Special made-for-TV ever

[@bcd113]

O they used to make this at the museum charismas party! I always wondered why the adults where so merry... like the time my grandmother mistook teaspoons for cups of rum in her rum cake.

[@TastingHistory]

That’s a rum cake I’d like to try

[@WolfysEyes]

I have a strong feeling that the toast at the bottom of a wassail bowl is less a reward and more of a dare to the person being honored. It just *feels* like one of those drunken "hold my beer" kind of challenges.

[@jaydoggy9043]

"It's strong toast" ... what a unique sentence that could only be used on this sort of channel. Thank you for taking one for the team, Mr. Miller. I think I will follow your advice and give this a try with cider, spice it up with ginger, maybe make some ginger cakes to serve alongside.

[@mmccolley83]

I want to thank you for giving me something to look forward to every Tuesday. You're the only channel I subscribe to, and have turned on the notifications for. Love the history talk and the dedication to trying to maintain as much historical accuracy as someone can (at least not without the million dollar budget). I wish you and Jose every success.

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you and happy holidays!

[@dogmeat7486]

I think you are supposed to cut the toast into little squares. Here in australia our "hot totties" have little cut crutons, sometimes. So i imagine you cut them small enough to be scooped with a regular sized spoon and that stops them from breaking apart so easily.

[@TauAlphaVu]

This brings back memories. Back in High School I was in a Madrigal group that would sing the Gloucestershire Wassail while caroling and our Christmas concert would be a sitdown dinner which naturally served wassail, non-alcoholic but otherwise similar to the recipe used here.

[@megumichan400]

God this brings back memories. When I was in Highschool our choir would hold a "Madrigal Dinner" around Christmas time. We would sing medieval holiday songs to our guest including the on about wassail.

[@mrs6968]

Love your content yet this year's holiday content is next level tyvm

[@stonefox2546]

Friends made lamb's wool with apples and hot cider one year and the texture of fluffy baked apple was definitely a bonus for the drink for me.

[@marymugge1523]

I love the linguistic deep dive. I'm always curious how certain things get their odd sounding names. And thank you for your sacrifice with the toast. XD

[@rosetownstumpcity]

another wonderful video Max.... thank you and Waes Hael to you and yours this holiday season 🙂

[@kyReeElainProhm]

Happy Holiday season to you and yours my friend ❤️

[@PowerChordEPS]

I remember first tasting wassail at one of my church's Christmas Eve services not knowing what it was, it's since become my favorite holiday drink and imbues me with the Christmas spirit. I guess it helps I naturally love apple cider around this time of year too.

[@robinbuser565]

I absolutely love your channel. I watch episodes while eating lunch at my desk! Makes my diet food more exciting. What I appreciate the most is the history and all the great research that you put into it. As a librarian, I am in awe with how you put together what you discover and make it entertaining.😀❤🍵

[@scotthyatt9798]

Another great show! Keep going and stay safe!

[@AGMundy]

Thank you to Max (and Jose behind the scenes) for another year of entertaining and informative videos. As a Brit I was puzzled by the pronunciation of wassail as I have always known it as wass-sail meaning good health.

[@battra92]

According to Mystery Science Theater failure to provide wassail can result in the loss of your debit card and PIN number [sic]. I always keep some in cans just in case.

[@TastingHistory]

Love that show.

[@filcdar]

@@TastingHistory And now I love you even more!

[@TastingHistory]

@@filcdar I remember my mother laughed so hard at Manos Hands of Fate, that to this day, she’ll start laughing if you even say the title. 😂

[@13strigoi69]

Don't forget to check the freshness date on your cans of wassail.

[@CaptHollister]

Speaking of wassail: "A Christmas Carol" is my favourite Christmas story and movie. At the end a transformed Scrooge tells Cratchit that they will discuss taking care of his family after a bowl of "smoking bishop" which is another type of wassail. Perhaps for a future holiday episode ?

[@TastingHistory]

I did Smoking Bishop last Christmas 😁

[@CaptHollister]

@@TastingHistory And so you did. I even watched and liked at the time. Oh well, "la mémoire est une faculté qui oublie".

[@concettaworkman5895]

I loved this history, Max, thanks for all you do! Happy New Year! Waes Hael!

[@seande1855]

Just a mention to the Farmers wassailing in their orchards; While they did indeed give cider to the roots of the trees, after the good fellows had a few pints down them , there were other "offerings" made that provided important nutrients for the tree .

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

😳🤔🤭

[@hotspidicey]

so glad you mentioned mari lywd! it's such an interesting christmas tradition and i'm definitely going to check out that video so i can learn more :) keep up the great work! your videos are so informative and entertaining!

[@tweetthang96]

Love this! One of my favorite things, a series of shows where historian Ruth Goodman, and two archaeologists, recreate life on historic farms in their heydays - Victorian, Edwardian, and WW2 - they wassail the trees and livestock in the Victorian and Edwardian shows. So now I have a recipe to join in on rewatches!

[@MGsupergirl]

Do you have a link please?

[@jillparks]

​​@@MGsupergirl Just do a search on "historical farm series" on KZbin. The specific titles are Tudor Monastery Farm, Tales from the Green Valley, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, and Wartime Farm. Absolutely fascinating stuff. In Tales from the Green Valley, they definitely use the "Wassail!" "Drink hale!" toasting.

[@sreggird60]

Love those shows. A shame they have not done any recently.

[@strawberrycream2974]

If you can't find them on yt, they are available on Tubi in the US. Except for Green Valley

[@MossyMozart]

@tweethang96 - Lucy Worsley also covers that wassail & apple trees tradition. I believe it appears in her "Christmas Carols with Lucy Worsley" documentary.

[@dimitritallnova6509]

I am SO glad you're doing an episode on Wassail!! It's so delicious and one of my favorite things to make in the holiday season!

[@dl2725]

Do you make it in the same style? If not, please tell how you do it!

[@CarlosGarcia-le9ll]

Your singing bust me up! Lol love watching and learning recipes from you! Love the history as well!! Merry Christmas and may the new year bring you much happiness and success!!!

[@bhavens9149]

Thank you for doing Wassail!

[@gracesiegel7849]

I love your videos! They are so much fun and I love learning. I’ve had Covid for 2 weeks and am finally (knock on wood) over it, your videos kept me entertained while I was sick and are the perfect balance between entertaining and stimulating, definitely helped ease my recovery. Thank you, Josè, Cersi, Jaimie and everyone on the Tasting History team!! Stay amazing and happy holidays

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you! And glad you’re feeling better.

[@gracesiegel7849]

@@TastingHistory definitely glad I’m feeling better! Thanks so much

[@pseudonamed]

Thanks for sharing these practices.. I lived in the UK for a few years and loved all the quirky folk practices still around. It’s a shame much of these have been lost to many in North America.

[@vincethewhat1362]

Really awesome video hope to give it a try some day!

[@nathanlynch9634]

Im so happy i subscribed too you because ive learned so much about food from ages gone by.

[@Sgt_Potato_1]

Finally a recipe that I've got a family version of to speak of. Our version is strange, having come through the alsace lorraine region of then Germany (currently France) , across the pond during the founding of Pennsylvania. Our version uses cider and Meade and is otherwise dependent upon whatever is at hand from lemons to star anise. Wassail is a truly diverse recipe.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

That wassail is just as warm and inviting as you Max! Thanks for such amazing content!

[@Featherss]

I enjoy these videos alot, also I love the pokemon in the background all the time thanks for the content :)

[@jinxcat90]

I enjoyed this whole video. Videos about the Mari Lwyd are always popping up on my social media pages this time of year so this was an absolute delight. Also, the way you folded your hands and the expression you made when you said "strong toast" gave me a severe case of the giggles.

[@matthewharter6134]

I heard that Johnny Appleseed was more likely spreading crab apple seeds so that they could be made into alcohol. That and to encourage new land owners to invest in their property by taking pride in owning it with trees they planted and took care off.

[@RijackiTorment]

The expressions on your face while tasting is priceless! You're so expressive. I'm not a fan of beer (anything made with beer yeast tastes sour/bitter to me and not in a good way) but I love the history. I might look for a hard cider version 'cause we have lovely cider in BC (and I can tell in one sip if if was made with beer yeast).

[@ericschmidt2085]

One of my favorite youtubers, absolutely love ya.

[@terrydrake8308]

This will be going into my feast of kings for July along with many other dishes from the channel. I have been watching liking and sharing every video I see 🤣 love your channel

[@DLFH]

"And were here for your alcohol" 🤣 Thanks for your full commitment to authenticity, and felt for you eating the bread. Hope you'll be doing something around New Year's Eve.

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

I never ceased to be delighted by your topic of choice and most of all, the excellence in presentation of the content.

[@ShallowApple22]

Thank you for providing us, with a year full of food, history and many, many laughs along the way wishing you happiness and. Health over the festive season

[@EmilyJelassi]

I’ve always loved your videos. The recipes are great but the history behind them is just fascinating! I know how much work the research can be, so I’m in awe of your outstanding attention to detail 👏🏻💯🙌🏻 I’ve been incredibly sick lately (not Covid, thank goodness!). Watching your videos has kept me entertained and distracted and for that, I can’t thank you enough! I hope you and your family have a safe and very happy Christmas Max! 😊🎄☃️🎉

[@DrIgnacious]

Welcome to the family, Sprigatito!

[@thatcactusboi]

I was hoping so much you'd mention Jimmy's video and squealed when you did. His videos are so fun and ya'lls two channels have been my absolute faves in the past couple years. Nerdiness wins!

[@sandrajames7961]

Great episode! I love love love this type of history so thank you for all the effort it takes to share your amazing videos with us.

[@jnicolay3587]

The toast face! 🤣🤣 Thanks for taking one for the team and giving it a try, and thanks for making me giggle right after! Great episode, I might have to give this recipe a go, and spice up our family Christmas!

[@emilycown4126]

I’d never heard of Wassail until last weekend, when I came across a jug at Trader Joe’s. I’m not sure how it lines up traditionally, but there were bits of peel and spice in it. I’ve really been enjoying it, thanks for making this!

[@VNoche]

It is always such a delight to watch your videos. Have a splendid holiday season!

[@dajeelingdajeeling9359]

Great video! Thank you, Max ❤

[@paulahillier1390]

Love me some Christmas tasting history. MERRY CHRISTMAS MAX AND JOSE! 🎄

[@joepollardmagic]

I come from the west country in England and Wassail is still a thing there. Its still big in places like Cornwall.

[@TastingHistory]

Do you hang toast on trees in Cornwall?

[@theoriginaldylangreene]

@@TastingHistory No toast on the trees anymore. On new years eve at the stroke of 12 we drink wassail. We make it with mulled scrumpy (strong cloudy alcoholic cider) warm in a large wassail bowl. Then it's passed from person to person, before taking a drink you shout "wassail!" ( pronounced "whas-ale", not "whasel") Everyone shouts "Drink ale!" back at you, you take a drink before passing it anti-clockwise (as not to wind up the piskies). Then we go outside and beat the spirits out of the apple trees.

[@chrism7969]

It's interesting that the word hael survives into modern English as a hale, for example as used in the phrase "hale and hearty*, meaning healthy and strong. Given that hael was used as a greeting it's also likely the case that the modern word hail, meaning to greet was derived from it.

[@michaelhall8981]

hail

[@chrism7969]

@@michaelhall8981 I'm not sure what you're saying. In the phrase Hale and hearty it's spelt h a l e and in the greeting it's spelt h a i l. However they are pronounced identically, which rather implies they are derived from the same Anglo Saxon word. On the other hand if you were merely sending me greetings with the word hail, please ignore the above and accept my hail in return!

[@plantarchy]

i was so excited when i saw this video pop up. my family makes a modern version of wassail almost every christmas & this year, i'm making this one!

[@babshm]

Very familiar with wassail over the years but never heard it pronounced like that -I kept thinking you were saying waffles😁. I’ll have to check my old English books. Thanks for all you do!

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Confused me too. I am not saying it is wrong, but us folkies and pagans of the Shires of Olde Englande tend to say Wass Ale (phonetically) much closer to the Saxon way he says it, which makes perfect sense,as most of us are from Saxon stock! It makes more sense to our German and Nordic cousins that way too. To be honest I have never heard anyone say wassil or wazzil. Not saying it is wrong, just that I have never heard it that way.

[@chloej1611]

According to Wikipedia, correct pronunciations include WASS-le and WASS-ale, depending on the dialect. So both are correct!

[@heatherbc7914]

@@hogwashmcturnip8930 I'm from the midlands and I've always pronounced it wass-ale too

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

​@@heatherbc7914 Proud Black Country, so we didn't have that many orchards! We did have a whole load of Saxon history so we always knew Wass Hai! In fact we use Wass in the dialect, or did, until I left in 2005. how wass her?' for how was she? Linking right into the Wass Hail Health thing. 'Good Health!' Which is why it is not a drink. Many drinks, but not a specific recipe,

[@Irisheyesd1]

Thanks again Max for two episodes in one week. Love the show, the history and the recipes. You’re great. 🎄

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

I got so excited that you mentioned The Welsh Viking! I love Jimmy's channel too.

[@Vestajik]

Would love to see you do an episode on ash reshte seeing as it’s nearing winter solstice! Great video as always

[@BeansonsBeans]

YAY I've been wanting to make some of this and now I have an authentic recipe to try! Thanks, Max

[@AngelavengerL]

We loved this! I did make some non alcoholic cider one year and it was so sweet i was like no wonder this is Christmas tradition! Dessert in a cup!

[@midoriya-shonen]

It's fascinating to hear the long history of practices we still take part in today! I remember caroling as a kid and it was nothing like this, and yet at the same time very reminiscent of it. Thanks for the video, Max!

[@etzool]

I love the honesty. Also the video in general, but the faces really made it.