72
Catalogue of Brand Material.
Children carry bough of holly or yew, decorated with fruit or ribbons, sing,^ and expect pence - - -
Sometimes rough wooden cross carried in centre of bough, or alone
Bough sometimes of rose- mary, to bloom Old Christ- mas midnight -
LOCALITY.
Sheffield, H udders field. West Riding, Derbysh. (Whittington), Leic. (Clay brook).
W. Riding (1863).
Worcester.
(t) 4. The Wassail Bowl (New Year's Eve).
Young women carried and offered bowl of liquor. New Year's Eve
(General in 17th cent., cf. Selden's Table Talk)
Young men carried empty
bowl to be filled. ,, Called Wassail boys ,, Danced, stayed up all night ,, Carried cup, handle deco- rated with rosemary ; would flower midnight, Christmas Eve
Northumbd. (1777).
Lichfield, 1830 ; Notts.2 1853 ; Wliitby, 1855.
Cornwall.
Somerset (Langport).
Glos. (Forest of Dean).
^ "Here we come a- wandering, among the leaves so green, Here we come a-wassailing, so fair-y to be seen, Love and joy come to you And to your Wassail too. And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year ! "
{One 0/ several Yorkshire variants.)
^ " Good master, at your door, Our wassail we begin. We all are maidens poor, So we pray you let us in.
And drink our Wassail. All hail, wassail ! Wassail, wassail ! And drink our wassail." (Notts.)
