Happy History Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, filled with family, friends, laughter, parties and good food. As the days get colder and the nights draw in, we all look forward to the celebrations and, of course, the approach of a new year. Everyone has their own holiday traditions, from decorating Christmas trees to hanging lights, giving gifts and watching cheesy films. Many of these have been cherished and passed down through generations of our families, reminding us of the rich history of both Christmas and the winter solstice. With countless traditions around the world, it’s unsurprising that many of them have been lost and forgotten over time, including some rather unusual ones. Here, we’ve put together a list of some of the most amusing and wacky traditions we could find, one for each of the 12 days of Christmas. We think they deserve to be brought back to the forefront of our merrymaking!

Go Wassailing

Tradition: Wassail Region: England Originated: 5th – 11th century

Throughout history, the winter solstice has always been a time where alcohol flows like there’s no tomorrow, with mulled wine, sherries, gins and cocktails aplenty. But instead of reaching for a glass of your usual tipple of choice, why not try a delicious cup of wassail? An Anglo-Saxon beverage made with fruits, spices, honey and either cider or ale,