Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
For help pronouncing words, check out my pronunciation guide.
Greetings:
Nadolig Llawen - Merry Christmas
Nadolig Hapus i chi - Happy Christmas to you
…a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda - …and a Happy New Year
Gwyliau Hapus - Happy Holidays
Dymuniadau gorau - Best Wishes
Iechyd da! - Cheers! (Good Health!)
It’s That Time of the Year:
Gaeaf - m. winter
Rhagfyr - m. December
y Nadolig - m. Christmas
Dydd Nadolig - Christmas Day
Nos cyn y Nadolig - Christmas Eve
Dydd Calan - New Year’s Day
Nos Galan - New Year’s Eve
Gwyl San Steffan - St. Stephen’s Day = Boxing Day
Holiday Items:
coeden Nadolig - f. Christmas tree
anrheg/-ion - f. present/-s
carden/cerdyn Nadolig - f. Christmas card/-s
Siôn Corn - Santa Claus
Now, here’s a holiday message to you in Welsh:
Gwyliau hapus i chi, a blwyddyn newydd dda. Dymuniadau gorau am gael llawer o anrhegion oddi wrth Siôn Corn dan y goeden Nadolig!
Why not use some of the above holiday greetings to send someone an e-card in Welsh? BBC Cymru’r Byd has several.
Source: Museum of Welsh Life
Holiday Traditions in Wales. Most people are familiar with the custom of bringing holly into the house as a symbol of eternal life; along with other evergreens such as rosemary, bay, and mistletoe, it is said to protect the house from evil. Plenty of other Welsh traditions are less well known, though, such as bringing the plough indoors and keeping it under the table through the holiday season!
Perhaps the most quintessentially Welsh holiday custom, however, is singing. The Welsh love to sing, and the tradition of Plygain (“daybreak”) singing in rural churches still continues in some parts of Wales. On the morning of Christmas Day, those observing this tradition rise very early or stay up all night to attend the Plygain service at the local parish church, usually between 3 and 6 a.m.
On that Christmas Eve prior to the Plygain service, people would traditionally spend the evening decorating the house and making merry. Earlier in the 20th century, revelry included drinking from the Wassail bowl, and in some regions people held a Noson Gyflaith or Toffee Evening as part of the Christmas celebrations. Friends and family would gather and take turns pulling toffee at this festive gathering.
Source: Museum of Welsh Life
Another ancient tradition during the Christmas season which is being revived in some areas is the Mari Lwyd, or Grey Mare. The Mari Lwyd is a horse’s skull decorated with ribbons and bells and covered with a white sheet, carried from door to door by disguised revelers who then challenge the occupants to a contest of impromptu verses. If victorious, the visitors would then be invited indoors for food and drink.
During New Year’s, one custom that was widespread throughout Wales was the calennig, or New Year’s gift. Children would go from house to house carrying evergreen sprigs and skewered-apple totems, chanting a short verse in exchange for small gifts of food or change. For more information about these customs, including toffee recipes, audio files of plygain singing, and instructions on making your own calennig totem, please visit the following websites:
A Welsh Christmas - BBC Catchphrase
Welsh Culture and Traditions - Go Britannia
Christmas Customs in Wales - Museum of Welsh Life
For some Welsh music to supplement your holiday, check these sites:
Sain.com’s Catalogue of Christmas Carols
Welsh Folksongs: Lyrics and Midi Files (including Welsh lyrics to Deck the Halls!)
And last but not least, here are a few websites with tasty Welsh recipes:
RecipeSource: Welsh Recipes
VWales: Recipes of Wales
I hope all of you have a Nadolig that is very llawen indeed, and don’t forget to raise your glass and say Iechyd da!
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