Miniature pewter tankards for Christmas punch. Pewter, an alloy of tin and lead, was readily available and affordable. Tankards had lids to keep insects and debris from falling into the beverage inside.
The old English word “wassail” comes from the old norse “ves heil,” meaning good health or to be whole. The Vikings inhabited the British continent during the Middle Ages, so drinking customs were an interesting blend of traditions. The pagan feast of Jul, or Jòl in Old Norse, was celebrated throughout Scandinavia and involved consuming large quantities of ale. According to Old Norse expert Dr. Jackson Crawford, each free man was required to drink about four gallons of alcohol over the three night celebration.
By 1910 in Carl Larsson’s Sweden, the punch bowl probably contained glögg, a hot mulled wine with spices and fruit.
Jackson Crawford’s discussion of Jòl drinking customs can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUloIBXFOQE&t=143s
An interesting history of wassail can be found on the Colonial Williamsburg website:
https://www.slaveryandremembrance.org/almanack/life/christmas/hist_wassail.cfm