| 释义 |
ˈwassailing, vbl. n.
[f. wassail v. + -ing1.]
1. The action of the verb wassail; carousing, riotous festivity.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. (1598) 390 Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dauncing, carolling and wassalling. 1641Milton Ch. Discip. ii. 61 That men should bee..push't forward to gaming, jigging, wassailing, and mixt dancing is a horror to think. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. (1849) 237 Its feudal hospitalities, and lordly wassailings, have passed away. 1913J. G. Frazer Golden Bough (ed. 3), Balder I. ii. 58 Before the wassailing begins, the various fathers perform a curious operation on the arms of their sons.
†2. The action (practised in English country districts by the poorer classes, esp. by the children) of going from house to house at Christmas-time, singing a song expressive of good wishes for Christmas and the coming year, usually with the addition of carols or other songs.
1742Agreeable Compan. in Halliwell Shaks. (1856) VI. 332 'Twas an ancient custom amongst poor people to go a wesseling at Christmas... Such poor people went about to get money to drink your health, and for which they carried a box..to put their money in. 1889D. E. Hurst Horsham (ed. 2) Gloss. Sussex Wds., Wasseling, a name given to the singing of Christmas carols at the doors of houses, a practice..which is dying out.
3. attrib., as wassailing bowl, wassailing song, wassailing watch.
1555W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. ix. 194 The maner is, out of one of these Skulles, as out of a wassailing boule, to giue all those the wine that haue slaine an enemie. a1586Sidney Arcadia ii. xxvii (1912) 321 Meaning to observe a wassaling watch all that night. 1914Contemp. Rev. Jan. 134 The wailing songs and wassailing songs of darker days. |