Cultural traditions of Wales Wales has

Cultural traditions of Wales

Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil

The Welsh words for leeks (cennin) and daffodils (cennin Pedr, lit. "(Saint) Peter's Leeks") are closely related and it is likely that one of the symbols came to be used due to a misunderstanding for the other one, though it is less clear which came first

Festivals St. David's Day is celebrated on 1 March, which some people argue should be designated a public holiday in Wales

The traditional seasonal festivals in Wales are: 1. ) Calan Gaeaf (a Hallowe'en or Samhain-type holiday on the first day of winter) 2. ) Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau (literally Mary’s Festival of the Candles, but equivalent to Candlemas and Imbolc) 3. ) Calan Mai (May Day, and similar to Beltane) 4. ) Calan Awst (or Midsummer, equivalent to Lughnasa). 5. ) Dydd Santes Dwynwen, a Welsh equivalent to Valentine's Day. Additionally, Calennig is a Welsh New Year celebration.

Calan Gaeaf is the name of the first day of winter in Wales, observed on 1 November. The night before is Nos Galan Gaeaf an Ysbrydnos when spirits are abroad. People avoid churchyards, stiles, and crossroads, since spirits are thought to gathere.

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau(Mary’s Festival of the Candles)

is a Welsh name of Candlemas, celebrated on 2 February. It is the Welsh equivalent of the Goidelic holiday of Imbolc. It was derived from the pre-Reformation ceremony of blessing the candles and distributing them to be carried in a procession The festival of early Spring is not connected with Saint Brigid of Kildare, as it is in Scotland Ireland, however

Calan Mai (May Day) In Wales, May 1 is a holiday known as Calan Mai [ˈkalan ˈmai] or Calan Haf [ˈkalan ˈhaːv], which means the first day of summer. Celebrations start on the evening before, known as May Eve, with bonfires; as with Calan Gaeaf

May Eve, villagers gather hawthorn branches and flowers which they would then use to decorate the outside of their houses, celebrating new growth and fertility

Lammas August 1 is Lammas Day, the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop, which began to be harvested at Lammastide

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Valentine's Day. ) is celebrated on 25 January every year. It celebrates Dwynwen: she is the Welsh saint of love Throughout Wales, children and adults make cards to give each other in a celebration of their love, or sometimes anonymously to entice the other person into love.