Slainte! Health to You!!

I caught a cool piece this week on the BBC about an interesting group in England that still performs a wassailing (wishing health) blessing on the orchards in Worcestershire. It’s an ancient practice that originally was done to ensure good crops for the coming year and to drive bad spirits away.  It involves drinking. What’s not to like? lol!

As I look out on an incredibly depressing and gray day, I can see why one would be tempted to try anything to banish the bad from one’s life. It feels a bit hopeless right now in the Northern Hemisphere.

The new year is under way and life is falling back into regular routines. Are we eating well? Exercising? Dealing with the bills and family struggles successfully? Are we feeling healthy?

I feel the breath of evil spirits on the back of my neck: whispered desires to quit, hide, snap at people and pork out on a rack of freshly baked cookies float through my head. Those things can all eat away at our health- both mentally and physically.

There are some lines to remember in the old Christmas carol “Here We Go A-Wassailing”:

“Bring us out a table
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a cheese,
And of your Christmas loaf.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail, too,
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.”

My take on these lyrics? Whatever we have, we should share it with others. By doing so, we become richer- healthier. The negative thoughts get burned by the light shared between you and I and we can move forward through these dark days.

So, as January ticks on, let’s smile at each other as we pass. Let’s play with the children in our lives and laugh with them. Let’s “go a-wassailing”to spread health to ourselves and those we know.

Slàinte!