Wassailing meant different things at different times and in different places.
In southern England it seems to have mainly been concerned with orchards and apple trees and cider production. As the north is not noted for cider, here in Yorkshire wassailing was little more than Christmas carolling. I remember Wesly Bobs which were decorated hoops used as decorations at Christmas which probably once were attached to the wassailing custom. Local versions of the Yorkshire Wassail were sung as part of the begging custom and travellers used to come round with a little home-made nativity scene in a tin box asking for coppers. What is somewhat ironic is the standard Yorkshire Wassail published quite early is the one sung everywhere so in all those little villages in the south that have their lovely widely varying versions, the poor people would be singing their local version and all the middle class lot would be singing the Yorkshire Wassail from Stainer and Bell, blissfully unaware of the local songs.