We Went Wassailing...Sort Of

Jan - 12/16/2008 5:00:00 AM in Lifestyle, Tables & Chairs
Tagged in Tables and Chairs, Holidays and Parties

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. We don't really have any big pre-holiday traditions of our own, but we do try to partake in some of the local festivities wherever we live. To help get us in the holiday spirit this year, we attended the annual Wassailfest one evening in a nearby town. You're probably thinking, "what in the world is a Wassailfest?" Don't worry, so were we!

I've heard of the Christmas carol "Here We Come A Wassailing" but didn't really know much more. Once I read the lyrics and did a little more reading, everything made more sense! Wassail is a traditional European beverage, popular at the holidays. (It tastes kind of like hot apple cider.) Apparently, wassailing dates back to the middle ages as an early form of holiday charitable giving. Peasants would go caroling to each house carrying cups. They would sing until their cups were filled with wassail...hence the popular lyrics "we won't go until we get some". It's really quite an interesting history...here's a link to learn much more than what I quickly summarized.

So, with that in mind, Wassailfest is a free festival that centers around all of the downtown businesses that host open houses for the community and serve their own blend of wassail. This was our first year attending Wassailfest and we were flabbergasted by the extremely long lines people waited in just to taste the tiny cups of free wassail offered at each store! Maybe if we weren't toting a screaming toddler, we might have been more inclined to wait at more than just one store.

In addition to tasting the wassail and mingling with friends, local groups perform, carolers stroll the street, and the downtown courthouse and square are adorned with thousands of lights. You can also view a live nativity scene and visit Santa Claus. But, hands down, the highlight of the evening for my kids was the train museum. Both of my children are train fanatics. Little did we know that the train museum would be participating in Wassailfest! They had a real train decorated with lights that people could climb on and ring the bell. And, they also had several miniature train exhibits. One exhibit was simply set up outside under the depot so kids could stand around and watch the trains. Since it was a temporary exhibit, guess what they were using as train tables? Yes, Lifetime tables! They had about eight Lifetime 6' tables pushed together in variations directions to accommodate the track layout. We've been to lots of train shows over the past few years and almost all of the engineers use Lifetime tables for their layouts. Normally, however, the displays feature elaborate designs with fake grass, mountains, trees, buildings etc. so you can't really see the table. But, since this display was outside for just one night, it was easy to see they were using Lifetime tables!

Anyway, I hope you're looking forward to the holidays and finding fun festive things to do. If you want to share some wassail with your friends and neighbors, check out some of these recipes I found at allrecipes.com. Happy Holidays!

Check out the Previous Post:
The Community Food Co-Op of Utah

Check out the Next Post:
Wrapping Up the Holidays

Jan

Name- Jan

What I do for a living- First and foremost, I'm a doting mommy of a second grader and a 4-year-old, and a proud wife of a USAF F-16 fighter pilot! In my pre-children life, I was the Communications Manager for Lifetime Products. But, once you're a Lifetime fan, you're hooked! So, after a few years of hiatus, I'm now a WAHM and am happily back on board at Lifetime as a freelance PR Consultant. In addition to blogging for Lifetime, you can follow and chat with me on Lifetime's Twitter account @Lifetime365 and on the Lifetime Products Facebook page!

Topics I blog about- How I use Lifetime products in my everyday life at home, for kids parties and community activities, as well as inspiring stories... and GIVEAWAYS! :)

My favorite products from Lifetime- 4x2 Table, 30” Personal Table, Chair, Youth Kayak, and Wheelbarrow. Although, our Shed and Yard Cart are pretty close favorites, too!

Read all posts by Jan

Be the First to comment

*Name: (required)

*Email: (required - this will not display publicly)

*Comments (required):

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Nothing to report... Please be patient as it may take a few minutes to publish. Your comment will not publish right away because this blog is moderated.

Extension Kits

Categories

Random
Popular
Recent

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen!
Ahoy There, Me Hearties! If you like to navigate shrewdly, fight recklessly and pillage mercilessly. I have the perfect board game for you. One of the many uses we get out of our Lifetime Card Table and our Lifetime Folding Chairs is using them for a convenient gaming table. The card table is handy for board games where access to the board is necessary. It’s small enough that you do not have to stretch across the table to draw a card or move a token. This also allows us to use the dining table for the dining portion of the evening and the game can be already set-up ready to go instead of waiting to clear and clean the dining table. The dining table can also be reserved to host a large array of desserts and treats. One of our favorite board games is called “Pirates Cove”. Your objective in Pirates Cove is to battle for the ...

Get Black Friday Discount Prices On All of the Lifetime Products On Your Wish List!
It's the holidays! Time for big discounts on all of the Lifetime products on your wish list for you, your family, and your friends. Everything in the Lifetime Store Online is discounted from 10 to 20%Friday 23rd - Monday 26th.Need tables and chairs for extra seating for the holidays? How about a nice outdoor shed to organize all of your tools and lawn and garden equipment? Buy now and get 10% off those products, as well as an amazing 20% off all of our other products. We've got something for your home, office, backyard, and vacation getaway, such as: Folding banquet tables in many sizes and designs at 10% off Comfortable, stylish folding chairs at 10% off Outdoor storage sheds at 10% off Portable and inground basketball systems at 20% off Metal swingsets along with a variety of other outdoor play products at 20% Compo...

The perfect Mother's Day gift: Kayak Adventures!
Last year I wanted to come up with something original for a Mothers Day gift. I didnt want to go with the traditional flowers, birdhouses, or candy. Showing her how much she means to me and how much I appreciate everything she does is really important. I racked my brain for days trying to come up with something creative, something different and something that could be enjoyed for more than just one day a year. What would surprise her? What could I do that she wouldnt expect? Then it hit me! A kayak!! When Mothers Day arrived she was never more excited! Instantly she began listing off all the places she could go and how jealous all her friends would be. I think the thing she liked the most was that now we could go out kayaking together. Not only did this give her a new activity, but it gave her a fun way to hang out with her ...

Black Friday!!!
What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? My wife’s favorite part is going shopping! I find more satisfaction in staying home, eating too much, and watching football, but, to each their own. I went one year with my wife and after I got beat by a bunch of spry and motivated ladies while trying to get some sheets, I decided to retire from Black Fridaying (is that even a word?). My goal is to help you know where you can find our products. With so many different retailers carrying our products, I wanted to help you wade through the mess. If you’re looking for a new basketball hoop, Sports Authority,

The Lifetime kids' furniture is hitting Costco stores this week!

The Kids’ Table is Now the Cool Table
I can’t even tell you how excited I am about our new Kid’s Furniture! This is a project that the whole company has rallied around – even employees can’t wait to get their hands on these! The Lifetime Children’s Square Folding Table and Stacking Chairs are hitting Costco stores this week! They are absolutely perfect for homes, daycares, parties, etc. and would be great as your kids’ Thanksgiving Table this year. The table comes in our traditional almond color, and the cute stack chairs are available in blue, green, and almond. The great thing about our tables...

Who doesn’t love costumes, face paint, spooky decorations – and my personal favorite – pumpkin carving?!

Love my Pumpkin Carving Table!
Halloween is such a fun time of year! Who doesn’t love costumes, face paint, spooky decorations – and my personal favorite – pumpkin carving?! So last night, my husband and I set out on our pumpkin carving adventure. My husband not only carves pumpkins, but he is amazing at shaving in faces, and doing all sorts of cool stuff. Over the years, he has helped me get more and more into it as well. Since I knew this was going to get pretty messy, I didn’t really want to use my wooden kitchen table, so I decided to pull out my trusty 4-Foot Fold-In-Half Lifetime Table. We live in a smaller apartment, so this is the perfect table for us. It is super easy to store and ...

Children’s Furniture Giveaway Winner!!!
Wow! Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only one week away!? It seems like it has come super fast! Thank you for all of the responses! We had over a hundred!!! Here are a here are a few of my favorite: “These are so adorable! Thank you for thinking outside the box and producing a child's chair that is useful, fun, and practical!” – Shara H. “We love the durability of our other Lifetime products and love that there is now an option for a kids table and chairs that will stand up to the messes and rough housing of our three little kids. The chairs look cool and super comfortable too!” –Melarie W. “So COOL!” – Clint P. “I am in love with the new kid's table and chairs! I especially love the blue and green. I've been look...

We Went Wassailing...Sort Of