27 December – The Feast of St John
The third day of Christmas was dedicated to the Feast of St John. According to tradition, St John once drank a cup of poisoned wine without coming to any harm. In remembrance of this miracle, people marked the day by drinking generously. Wealthy households displayed their status by serving expensive imported wines from Europe, while most people drank ale, which was far more affordable. Another popular festive drink was ‘Lambs Wool’, made by combining beer with spices and baked apples.
Wassailing was also an important part of Tudor Christmas celebrations, enjoyed by people of all social classes. A large wooden bowl was filled with warm ale or cider, mixed with sugar, spices, apples, and a piece of bread. The bowl was first presented to the most important member of the household, who would raise it, call out ‘Wassail!’ (meaning “good health”), take a drink, and pass it on. Each person in turn would respond with ‘Drinkhail!’ before sipping, as the bowl was shared around the group.
Images are Pro Content included with Canva Teams. Article written by Chat GPT