Advent Calendar December 22nd

Christmas was once much longer…

Christmas once looked very different and lasted longer. Advent was a period of fasting from December 1st to the 24th followed by Christmas celebrations that lasted for 12 days. It ended on the 5th of January – Twelfth Night – with wassailing a key part of the celebrations. 
Wassail is a spiced alcoholic drink (originally mead or ale but now more likely to be cider, although mulled apple juice is also pretty good) introduced by the Vikings as a toast for good health. Gradually it became associated with Christmas.

The illustration shows a group of Vikings indulging in in a drinking session with the caption:
Many a wassail-bout
Wore the long winter out.
It comes from Longfellow’s Skeleton in Armour (great title!) published in 1877.