Waes Haeil, All Over The Town

We know it as “Wassail,” but the title of today’s blog is the original Middle English and they both mean “be healthy.” The tradition grew up of toasting the good health of the apple trees that would bear the crop from which next year’s cider would be made.

“Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.”

We didn’t exactly wassail all over the town here at North Franklin Street, home of “Things At King’s,” but we did a few nice things to celebrate both the birth of Jesus Christ and the coming of Santa Claus down our rather slim chimney. (Exactly how did he pull that off, anyway? Santa, that is.)

I decided that the Christmas Vigil Mass and the Christmas Day Mass would be a fitting way to keep my focus. Santa usually occupies my focus later in the day, rather fully. I mean, my religious feelings are fine, but when it comes time to unwrap the presents, I’ll tell Mary to nurse the baby while I attend to the goodies.

We filled the time in between by dining at Wildflowers, the East Mountain Inn’s holiday brunch location. They put out a nice spread, the price is right and the atmosphere is good. Later in the evening, I fell asleep on the couch, like everyone else.