Thanks very much for that Davy. Is there anyone else out there who can add to this? Or perhaps have a recipe for Wassail Punch! <G> regards Caroline > > > Wassailing is one of the oldest customs.Whilst the name comes from the Old > English "waes hael" (be well), the practice itself is believed to date back > to before the Roman invasion (i.e. prehistoric). > > Wassailing is literally drinking the health of someone or something, and the > term can be found to refer to a toast for any reason (who needs much > persuading to have a drink?!). The traditional time for wassailing was > Yuletide (i.e. the twelve days of Christmas, and presumably the > pre-Christian equivalent around the winter solstice), and Twelfth Night was > the traditional time for wassailing the apple trees to ensure a good harvest > in the coming year. After drinking the health of the trees, the revellers > would scare off evil spirits with loud noises, and later in history guns > would be fired into the trees.