together. The Green Man is usually depicted in carvings with leafy vines growing around his body, from his face, mouth, eyes, nose and ears.
Mistletoe
We English don’t stop at pine trees: holly and mistletoe are equally essential natural Christmas decorations. Mistletoe’s popularity obviously has something to do with the custom of kissing the person with whom you stand underneath it – a tradition that allegedly dates back to Pagan Britain and ancient Roman times, when enemies who met under it were said to have to give up their rivalries.
Wassail
Wassail is an ale-based drink seasoned with spices and honey. It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter. Wassail comes from an old English term ‘waes hael’ meaning to be well. In Saxon times the Lord of the Manor would shout this to the crowds and they would all drink an ale based drink. This tradition continued over time as people would go from house to house with the drink and Christmas food. Some parts of the country especially in rural areas still go ‘a wassailing’ in January – usually the 17th which was the old twelfth night. While it’s not called wassailing nowadays you’ll also find that people in England will still go visiting neighbours for a glass of mulled wine (or something else alcoholic) and a mince pie. The Wassail bowl would be passed around with the greeting, ‘Wassail’. Wassailing has been associated with English Christmas and New Year as far back as the 1400s. It was a way of passing on good wishes among family and friends.
Christmas Carols
The earliest carol was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small fragment of it still exists. The