Christmas Past

Nowadays, wassail, like sugarplums or hot buttered rum, is a part of the Christmas season that most of us experience mainly through references in songs and stories and artwork. But this old English custom is about much more than sharing a cup of good cheer. It’s about one of the parts of Christmas that’s mostly likely destined to remain stuck in Christmas past: inverting the normal rules of social order...with a little help from alcohol.Thanks to Conrad Bladey, author of the five-volume The Book of Wassail, for appearing in this episode.Be sure to check out the "Definitive Directory of Christmas Podcasts"Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook pageFacebook groupTwitterInstagramMusic in this episodeThe Wassail Song — Chris Friesen, via NoisetradeSlow Toe