The Welsh are a wonderfully romantic race of people and, as you may already know, we have all sorts of beautiful traditions when it comes to matters of the heart.

One of the most well-known is, of course, the engraved love spoon – hand-carved tokens of affection that were given by men to their loved ones, complete with all sorts of intricate and meaningful symbols and motifs to let their love interests know of their intentions.

But love spoons aren’t the only customs to have come out of this intriguing country – so here are just a couple of other romantic traditions that have sprung up over the centuries. Enjoy!

Jumping the broomstick

This interesting custom was first seen in Wales, with newlywed Romany couples jumping over a flowering broom as a fertility rite. Over the years, the tradition was adopted by other groups of people and couples would use an actual broomstick, wedged into a doorway, to jump over. These days, the term has come to be synonymous with eloping.

Myrtle leaves

A lovely tradition for Welsh brides – and one that you could easily do for your own wedding – is to carry a bouquet full of myrtle leaves, which signify love, good luck and prosperity. Once upon a time, the bride would give her bridesmaids cuttings from the bouquet and, if they went on to flower, the girls knew they would be next to get hitched.

Birdsong

Keep a good ear out on the day of your wedding – according to Welsh tradition, it’s a very good omen indeed to be woken up by birdsong! And who doesn’t want to be blessed on the day they’re saying their vows?