Can anyone from the Wakefield area answer this question?

[greekgranny]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

I’m from Ossett, ( I don’t like to say Wakey, not least because of that MP) but yes we called them Wessel cups always.

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Well, that's three of us

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by greekgranny

Well, that's three of us

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I just asked Mrs YT and she said of course, everyone knows the term. Her mother is from Leeds and they call them wessel cups. I said according to Dibb, it’s quite a local phrase !

[YorkshireT]

Apparently after you went wassaling, you drank from cups then hung them on the tree.

en.m.wikipedia/wiki/Wassailing

[Rac20]

I’m in Halifax and never heard that phrase. ☺️

[janeywaney]

I’m in South Yorkshire and my grandma used to call them Wassalling balls not cups. She used to say be careful unwrapping the wassalling they are very delicate!

Jane

[scruffycharlie]

My husband is from Hemsworth and he says he used to call them that.

[lottiesmum0]

I'm from Brighouse and I can honestly say I have never heard of it!

[YorkshireT]

This is an interesting thread. It shows how a very old winter tradition, which actually seems to have been practised a lot in the SW, has been adopted into local language in a small geographical area of Yorkshire. This area seems to span from maybe just a bit into South Yorkshire but in a weaker form there, and be concentrated around the Wakefield area in West Yorkshire where ‘Wessel Cups’ will be understood by most people of a certain age (think the phrase is getting lost on younger generations). I also think it gets into Leeds.
It is strange isn’t it, local dialect.

[Gryff]

Wasaling was a Tudor tradition celebrating the harvest and the onset of winter often the previous years cider etc were drunk and the cups and as a toast to a good harvest the next year hung from evergreens brought into the house at christmas time and the Winter solacace or the bows of the cider apple trees
Before a Prince Albert Queen Victoria's husband brought in Christmas Trees from Germany
Washaling continued for many years though and you can still buy wasal spice for cider or wine on line actually tastes much better than mulled wine or just drink added to hot water think herbal tea

[Gryff]

Oh and if any body's interested I've a modern day recipient for wasal punch
Cider Morgan's spiced rum etc always goes down well especially when hot round our fire pit