These days, most people's concept of wassailing is taken
from the song "Here We Come A-Wassaling," and accordingly, it's seen as nothing
more than an antiquated term for caroling. But like Krampus, wassailing has its
roots in pre-Christian Europe, and was originally a way for peasants to get
money from their feudal lords in exchange for the blessings of their
However, the most important part of wassaling is, of course, the wassail. With a base of cider, wine, beer or mead, and mulled with spices, fruits all sorts of other goodness, wassail is a hot beverage perfect for keeping yourself warm as you go stomping around in the cold, trying to sing songs you don't really remember. Wassailing is basically just C.U.I. (caroling under the influence, natch).