God bless the master of this house,

The mistress also,

And all the little children

That round the table go;

And all your kin and kinsmen,

That dwell both far and near;

I wish you a merry Christmas,

And a happy new year.

Wassel or Wassal.—A remnant of this part of our Saxon manners still exists at Yarmouth, and strange to say, in no other part of the Isle of Wight. On the first day of the new year the children collect together and sing wassel or wassal through the streets; the following is their song (see p. 249):

Wassal, wassal, to our town!

The cup is white and the ale is brown;

The cup is made of the ashen tree,

And so is the ale of the good barley;

Little maid, little maid, turn the pin,

Open the door and let us come in;

God be here, God be there.

I wish you all a happy new year!