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What exactly is wassailing — and why does it keep showing up in Christmas songs? From medieval drinking bowls to danceable melodies, here’s what separates a carol from a hymn and why songs like “The Gloucestershire Wassail” still endure.

This Christmas season, arts reporter Jacob Aloi went down a bit of a rabbit hole exploring the origins of one of his favorite Christmas carols, “The Gloucestershire Wassail.” 

What follows is an exploration of these questions and more, guided by three wise voices: a music expert, a linguist and a theater artist with a passion for Christmas carols.

What is ‘The Gloucestershire Wassail?’

“The Gloucestershire Wassail” is a Christmas carol from Gloucestershire, England, that describes a group of wassailers traveling to the manor house to sing in exchange for food and drink. According to the “Oxford Book of Carols,” it was first “captured” or recorded in the 1800s. 

“It was sung in Gloucestershire by wassailers carrying a great bowl, dressed up with garlands and ribbon.”

— Philip Brunelle, music expert and artistic director of VocalEssence

“Wassailing” is a centuries-old tradition from England, where people would get together to sing Christmas Carols about town — traditionally on Twelfth Night (Jan. 5). 

“Originally this tended to be the farmers, and they would gather together and go up to the manor house … they would carry around a bowl, literally, a large decorated carved wooden bowl, and the master was expected to fill that up.”

— Jake Endres, Minnesota-based theater artist and wassail enthusiast

Wassail comes from the Old Norse phrase “wæs hæl,” meaning “be whole” or “be in good health.” Over time, the phrase became one word, “wassail,” but the meaning has been part of the English language for centuries. 

“In ‘Beowulf,’ the oldest Old English poem, one of the greeting formulas used in addressing the king was ‘wæs hæl.’” 

— Anatoly Liberman, professor in the German, Nordic, Slavic and Dutch Department at the University of Minnesota.

Carols are a style of song that dates back to the 15th century. They are generally tuneful and have an association with dancing.

“It’s a word that derives originally from being a dance. A song that was danced is the idea behind a carol… it sort of emancipated things out of the Puritan tradition and made it so that people could create, and it was really for the people that it created lyrics and melodies that were very, very tuneful.” 

What makes a carol different than a hymn?

Usually, hymns are quite stately, whereas carols have to have a dance meter to them, going back to their tunefulness. Another distinction is the content of each.

“A carol can be both sacred or secular, whereas the hymn is going to be sacred.”

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What exactly is wassailing — and why does it keep showing up in Christmas songs? From medieval drinking bowls to danceable melodies, here’s what separates a carol from a hymn and why traditions like “The Gloucestershire Wassail” still endure.

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