Wales is a land of traditions that are entwined with the history and culture of the country. Some of them have been half forgotten while others have enjoyed a revival in recent times. Here’s a look at some of the weird and wonderful Welsh New Year’s Eve customs.
Mari Lwyd
The tradition of Mari Lwyd is thought to have originated in the medieval era but it was still very much alive in the 19th century. It was a method of collecting charity for the poor and homeless in a time when there was no formal support offered to the needy. It occurred mainly in south Wales, although a few cases have been recorded as far north as Wrexham.
A procession of men and boys wearing face masks would pass through pubs, shops, and the wealthier houses of towns and villages asking for money. The leader of the procession would carry a horses’ skull on a pole, as a rather scary version of a hobby horse. Sometimes the skull might be made from wood or paper and decorated with ribbons and glass eyes.
The pole was draped with a white sheet to disguise the person carrying it. As social conditions improved at the end of the 19th century the tradition began to die out, but there has been a revival in recent years.
Calennig
This is a gentler New Year Welsh tradition which was once very popular in the rural areas of south Wales. Children would go door to door and perform folk rhymes and offer fruit, hoping in return to receive gifts of money and sweets. Sometimes the children would also splash water on the householders as a way of bringing God’s favour to them.
An account recorded by the National Library of Wales gives details of a Talsarn family rising at dawn to go around the local farms and houses no matter what the weather was like. A local man named Jack Poole explained that everyone enjoyed the singing and in return they may be given cake, bread, cheese, or pennies.
Mr Poole gave an example of a verse they would sing:
“Today is New Year’s Day, I come across you
To ask for the penny or a piece of bread and cheese
Oh don’t change countenance
Don’t change anything from your look
Before next New Year’s Day comes
Many will be in their grave
And then if you were in a hurry to go, you would say
Whole Calennig on New Years day morning, once, twice, three times
And then Happy New Year.”
The Wassail bowl
Wassailing is traditionally associated with the cider producing regions of England, but it was also a prevalent tradition in some rural areas of Wales around the New Year. At a social gathering a highly decorated bowl was filled with fruit, spices, sugar, and warm beer, and passed around.
The local farmers and their families would then dip their cup and drink to a full and fruitful harvest for the coming year.
Another Welsh tradition is the giving of hand carved love spoons to a loved one. They make a very special gift at this time of year.