The Wassail Ceremony

During our Madrigal Dinner, a wassail ceremony will follow the Queen's arrival. In the 15th to 16th centuries, wassailing was a reciprocal exchange between the Lords and their peasants as a form of charitable giving.

"we are not daily beggars that beg from door to door but we are friendly neighbours whom you have seen before."

The Lord of the Manor would give food and drink to the peasants in exchange for their blessing and goodwill:

"Love and joy come to you, and to you your wassail to;

And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year!"

In some parts of England, wassailing refers to drinking and singing the health of trees. The purpose of wassailing was to awake the cider trees and scare away evil spirits and ensure a good harvent of fruit. Wasasail ceremonies varied from vilage to village but the procession was generally led by the host or a wassail King and Queen to a tune played or sung from one orchard to the next.

Sources: wikipedia, england-in-particular.com

What the men wore

During the earlier part of Elizabethan England,  men wore embroidered vests and front-buttoned shirts with loose pants until the knee. The rich men wore finely-made-of-leather shoes, a flat silk or velvet hat, or a tall hat like a crown that was made of feathers of fabric.

During the later part of the era, they were dressed in cloaks held by a crucifix and chain with fine stockings in silk, and bonnets or hats with a plume on the side. Like women's clothing, men's clothes were detailed with inconvenient ruffles that were stiff and about 8 inches in width.


Source: elizabethanenglandlife.com