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.

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Music in this episode

• The Wassail Song — Chris Friesen, via Noisetrade
• Slow Toe — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• Cases to Rest  — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• Wassail Wassail  — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist
• Wish Background  — Kevin MacLeod via Incompetech

Connect with Me

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Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)