The season of joy and love is here again, and it’s time to carry on the various Christmas traditions that make our favorite season worth celebrating.
Christmas traditions are numerous, so it is only logical that so many cultures are long forgotten and barely practiced. Two of such traditions are Wassailing and Mumming.
WASSAILING
This is an ancient Christmas tradition that is barely remembered or practiced in today’s world. The word ‘Wassail’ means good health and has its origin from an Anglo-Saxon phrase. Wassail is a drink made initially from curdled cream, roasted apples, ginger, mulled ale, baked apples, sugar, and cloves.
It was often served with large bowls usually made from pewter and silver.
Origin of wassailing
As with most ancient Christmas traditions, wassailing is surrounded by many legends. One such is that of a girl named Rowena, who was a beautiful Saxon maiden.
She presented a bowl of wine to Prince Vortigern while toasting him with the words’ waeshael’.
The custom of drinking wassail has evolved into many ceremonies.
For many people, it became another way of saying Merry Christmas to one another.
Mumming
This is an old pagan tradition that was later associated with Christmas. The act of Mumming means ‘making a diversion in disguise.’ This Christmas custom involves men and women swapping clothes, wearing masks, and then goes visiting everyone around all the while dancing and singing or acting out a silly play.
Origin of Mumming
This tradition has its roots in ancient Roman. People usually get dressed for parties for celebrations of the New Year.
Mumming in the medieval period became an excuse for going around houses begging and committing crimes. As a result, Henry VII made a law declaring the punishment of three months in prison for anyone caught Mumming.
A famous poem associated with it goes by:
Christmas is coming, and the beef is getting fat, please drop a penny in the old man’s hat.
With time the poem was changed to a Carol as follows:
Christmas is coming; the goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat.
Read all about DIY Christmas Lights here