A few weeks ago, I listened to a person from the Netherlands sing as part of the holiday festivities. The acoustics did not make it easy to listen to the lyrics, but there was a definite rhythm to the song, there was an unmistakable energy and there was a sense of celebration every time the word “wassail” was uttered. I had heard the word before in the context of singing and drinking during the holidays in colonial America. Eager to know more, I asked the singer why he chose to sing the song and what he knew of its history.