Sept. 30 Today is NATIONAL HOT MULLED CIDER DAY

I drink a cup of the Keurig Green Mountain apple cider at my morning break at work daily, any time of the year. Love the stuff. Of course what I really love even more is using actual apple cider simmering in a crock pot or on stove top with the mulling spices in it. Nothing better.

The Wassailing Origins of Mulled Cider, Christmas Caroling & perhaps even Trick-or-Treating

Wassailing actually entails two old English traditions. House wassailing also called caroling, is the practice of singing door-to-door and is most strongly associated with Christmas carols. The second type is Orchard wassailing and concerns the ancient custom of singing to fruit trees to drive away evil spirits and promote a good harvest.

As with many traditions from so long ago, the true origins of wassailing are at best muddled. They’re a mix of ancient religious influences, Christian practice, feudal responsibilities, and various other cultural inspirations and superstitions. However, both types involve singing and the consumption of a hot mulled beverage, with a traditional base of mead or spiced beer and served from a wassail bowl. Early wassail often included toast and apples, while later recipes added citrus fruit. Modern versions use a cider base mixed with sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and wine, ale, or brandy to provide a little extra Christmas cheer. As the name mulled implies, the beverage is served warm and has become a favorite at holiday parties.

Much more at http://armenpogharian.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/origins-of-mulled-cider-how-i-worked-it-into-a-ya-fan...