Various traditions are practiced on certain days of the year in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

both currently and historically, including festivities originating in

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Christian culture Christian culture generally includes all the cultural practices which have developed around the religion of Christianity. There are variations in the application of Christian beliefs in different cultures and traditions. Christian culture has ...

History

As recorded in the

Laws of Hywel Dda ''Cyfraith Hywel'' (; ''Laws of Hywel''), also known as Welsh law ( la, Leges Walliæ), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales before its final conquest by England. Subsequently, the Welsh law's criminal codes were superseded by the ...

, the three main holidays (''gwyliau'') of the medieval

Welsh kingdoms Wales in the early Middle Ages covers the time between the Roman departure from Wales c. 383 until the end of the 10th century. In that time there was a gradual consolidation of power into increasingly hierarchical kingdoms. The end of the early ...

were

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

(''Nadolig''),

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

(''Pasg''), and

Whitsuntide Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the H ...

(''Sulgwyn''). Other important holidays were the feasts of

St Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...

(''Gwyl Badric'') on 17 March;

St. Quiricus Cyricus ( el, Κήρυκος, am, ቂርቆስ, arc, ܡܪܝ ܩܘܪܝܩܘܣ ܣܗܕܐ ''Mar Quriaqos Sahada''; also Cyriacus, Quiriac, Quiricus, Cyr), and his mother, Julitta ( el, Ἰουλίττα, am, እየሉጣ arc, ܝܘܠܝܛܐ, ''Yul ...

(''Gwyl Giric'') on 16 June; the Beheading of

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

(called in Welsh ''Gwyl Ieuan y Moch'' St. John of the Swine as it was the day the pigs were turned out into the woods to forage through the winter) on 29 August;

St Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

(''Gwyl Fihangel'') on 29 September; and the Calends of Winter (''Calan Gaeaf'') on 1 November, All Saints' Day (''yr Holl Saint''). A special drink called the "liquor of the Apostles" (''gwirawd yr ebestyl'') was brewed for and distributed on these saints' days.

Modern celebrations

New Year's Eve – 31 December

New year's eve in Wales nowadays includes attending pantomimes, theatre shows and parties. The

Nos Galan road race Nos Galan ( cy, Rasys Nos Galan) is an annual five-kilometre (3.1 mi) road running event, held on New Year's Eve in Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley of South Wales. History Nos Galan celebrates the life and achievements of Welsh runner Guto Ny ...

is also held in

Mountain Ash Mountain ash may refer to: * ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus'' See also * Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Mountai ...

Hen Galan (Old New Year) – 14 January

The Mari Lwyd ("Grey Mare") is a horse-figure that is carried from door to door by wassail-singing groups during ''Hen Galan'' (

Old New Year The Old New Year or the Orthodox New Year is an informal traditional holiday, celebrated as the start of the New Year by the Julian calendar. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Old New Year falls on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. This tra ...

) celebrations in some communities in Wales.

St Dwynwen's Day (Dydd Santes Dwynwen) – 25 January

Celebrated on 25 January every year, St Dwynwen Day (Dydd Santes

Dwynwen Saint Dwynwen (; 5th century), sometimes known as Dwyn or Donwen, is the Welsh patron saint of lovers. She is celebrated throughout Wales on 25 January. History and legend The original tale has become mixed with elements of folktales ...

) is the Welsh day of love, equivalent to

St. Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

St David's Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi) – 1 March

The

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of Wales is

St David Saint David ( cy, Dewi Sant; la, Davidus; ) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail abo ...

( cy, Dewi Sant) and St. David's Day (') is celebrated on 1 March. Some people argue it should be designated as a

bank holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...

Easter Sunday (Sul y Pasg)

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

, children receive chocolate easter eggs from the "easter bunny" and engage in chocolate egg hunts. Hot cross bunns are eaten and Easter greetings include "Happy Easter" in English or "Pasg Hapus" in Welsh.

Shrove Tuesday (Dydd Mawrth Ynyd) or Pancake Day

Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten s ...

was historically held on the eve of the Christian fasting period of Lent, and is traditionally celebrated with the making of pancakes.

Owain Glyndŵr Day (Diwrnod Glyndŵr) – 16 September

Diwrnod Owain Glyn Dwr Celebrations, Corwen 2017

Although not a traditional holiday, many schools and organisations now commemorate the 16 September as a commemoration of Owain Glyndŵr, with festivals such as (Festival of the flame) to celebrate it. In addition, towns with particular links to Glyndwr celebrate the day, including Corwen and Harlech.

Calan Gaeaf – 31 October – 1 November

Historically, a commemoration of end of the autumn and harvest season and the beginning of winter. It has Celtic origins which merged with the Christian tradition.

Bonfire Night (Noson Tân Gwyllt) – 5 November

On 5th of November, a night of fireworks occurs that began after Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in England.

Christmas (Nadolig) – 25 December

Christmas in Wales traditionally involved singing

Plygain ''Plygain '' is a traditional Welsh Christmas service which takes place in a church between three and six o'clock in the morning, traditionally on Christmas morning. The word 'plygain' possibly comes from the Latin word ''pullicantio, ''meaning 'w ...

, toffee-making and torch processions in Wales.

Boxing Day / St Stephen's Day (Gwyl San Steffan) – 26 December

Celebrated on 26 December, in Wales

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

St. Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...

is known as Gŵyl San Steffan in

Festivals no longer widely celebrated

These are festivals that were once widely celebrated in Wales but are no longer so.

Calennig Calennig is a Welsh word meaning "''New Year celebration/gift''", although it literally translates to "the first day of the month", deriving from the Latin word kalends. The English word "Calendar" also has its root in this word. It is a tradition ...

is a tradition where children carry a decorated apple, pierced with three sticks and decorated with a sprig of box and hazelnuts on new year's day. Children would sing a verse and were often gifted with money or food.

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau (English: "Mary's Festival of the Candles") is a Welsh name of Candlemas, celebrated on 2 February. It was derived from the pre-Reformation ceremony of blessing the candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammab ...

usually on the 2 February, literally translates as "Mary's Festival of the Candles" marked the coming of Spring in Wales. Locally, each parish celebrated a

Gŵyl Mabsant A Gŵyl Mabsant (Welsh for "Feast of the Patron"), also known as the patronal festival or Wake of a parish,Baring-Gould, Sabine & al''The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in ...

in commemoration of its native saint. This annual celebration developed from a dedication through prayer to a programme of recreational activities.

Calan Mai ''Calan Mai'' ( "Calan (first day) of May") or ''Calan Haf'' ( "first day of Summer") is a May Day holiday of Wales held on 1 May. Celebrations start on the evening before, known as May Eve, with bonfires; as with Calan Gaeaf or 1 November, t ...

(or Calan Had) is a

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. T ...

celebration on 1 May, marking the first day of summer and the Welsh equivalent of

Beltane Beltane () is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking the ...

. Gwyl Ifan (St John's Day) on the 24 June is otherwise known as

Midsummer's day Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe. The undivided Christianity, Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Chri ...

External links

A list of other Medieval Welsh saints' days
at Aberystwyth University (under "gwyl")

References

{{Wales topics

Holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate ...