vbl. sb. [f. WASSAIL v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the verb WASSAIL; carousing, riotous festivity.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1598), 390. Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dauncing, carolling and wassalling.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discipl., II. 61. That men should bee … push’t forward to gaming, jigging, wassailing, and mixt dancing is a horror to think.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk. (1849), 237. Its feudal hospitalities, and lordly wassailings, have passed away.
1913. J. G. Frazer, Golden Bough (ed. 3), Balder, I. ii. 58. Before the wassailing begins, the various fathers perform a curious operation on the arms of their sons.
† 2. The action (practised in English country districts by the poorer classes, esp. by the children) of going from house to house at Christmas-time, singing a song expressive of good wishes for Christmas and the coming year, usually with the addition of carols or other songs.
1742. Agreeable Compan., in Halliwell, Shaks. (1856), VI. 332. ’Twas an ancient custom amongst poor people to go a wesseling at Christmas…. Such poor people went about to get money to drink your health, and for which they carried a box … to put their money in.
1889. Dor. E. Hurst, Horsham (ed. 2), Gloss. Sussex Wds., Wasseling, a name given to the singing of Christmas carols at the doors of houses, a practice … which is dying out.
3. attrib., as wassailing bowl, song, watch.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. ix. 194. The maner is, out of one of these Skulles, as out of a wassailing boule, to giue all those the wine that haue slaine an enemie.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. xxvii. (1912), 321. Meaning to observe a wassaling watch all that night.
1914. Contemp. Rev., Jan., 134. The wailing songs and wassailing songs of darker days.
