Welsh Christmas & New Year’s Eve Traditions

16/11/2016 by Sam
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Each culture has different Christmas traditions, it’s part of what makes the festive time of year so rich in diversity and so full of wonder. And just like there are particular traditions practiced in Ireland, England and Scotland – there are also some Welsh Christmas traditions that people should enjoy!

If you’re planning on celebrating the festive period on Anglesey this season, then we suggest you take a little look below and integrate some Welsh practices into your Christmas celebrations. They’ll certainly add a new, yet old, spin on the most magical time of year!

Plygain

What would Christmas be without carols? Well, in Wales caroling is traditionally a little different.

Taking place early Christmas morning, between 3am and 6am, to be precise, people would gather in local churches and sing their hearts out during the 19th century.

They usually stayed awake throughout the night ready for the early morning carols – and although we think the tiredness may have put a bit of a damper on Christmas day itself, why not have a little sing song with the family before bed this year?

Plygain also still occasionally happens, meaning that if you really want to take part this year you can! Churches famed for it include St David’s Bishop’s Palace, so be sure to seek out those in your local area for something a bit different.

Welsh Christmas Toffee

Welsh Christmas Toffee

We all love a few extra sweet treats during Christmas time, and so to do our friends in Wales.  In fact, they often made toffee an integral part of their celebrations in years gone by.

On Toffee Evening, also known as Noson Gyfraith, friends and families would get together at one another’s houses and play games, have food, tell stories and make toffee over the fire.

It was popular during the late 19th century, so why not have a go at making your own this Christmas? It’ll certainly invite a little bit of Welsh festive charm into your lodge. You can also nip to the supermarket and pick some up if you want to take a little shortcut. We promise we won’t tell anyone!

Calennig

In Wales, the Halloween tradition of Trick or Treating was actually something that happened during the festive period. On New Year’s Day, between dawn and noon, children would go from door to door with good wishes for the new year, and in some cases, they would sing and splash people with water. They would then be given a gift for their troubles, usually loose change.

We don’t recommend your children continue this tradition in 2017 as it hasn’t been practiced since the early 19th century – but it might be nice to wish each other well and buy gifts for New Year’s Day.

We can’t think of a lovelier start to the new year.

Holming

Not all Welsh Christmas traditions are particularly pleasant, and one of the less favourable festive customs lies within ‘holming.’ This tradition also took place during the early 19th century, and you wouldn’t have wanted to be the last one to get out of bed on Boxing Day!

If you were, you would be beaten with prickly holly sprigs. As you can imagine, this is something that is certainly not practiced any longer. But if you want to make fun of the last person out of bed on boxing day, we recommend a friendly little hair-ruffle. Perhaps even a snuggly hug!

New Year’s Eve Drinks

Festive drink at NYE

There are four staples of a modern-day New Year’s Eve. Family, friends, food, and last but not least, something to whet your whistle! And as you can imagine, there also used to be a traditional Welsh drink created at NYE that people enjoyed.

This tradition actually has roots back to Tudor customs, where people drank from patterned Wassail bowls. They’d be full to the top with tasty sugar, fruit, spices and warm beer. Yum!

Why not try making your own version for New Year’s Eve? Everyone loves a good punch, and it’s a great way to toast 2017 with those you care about.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve on Anglesey

Squirrel in the snow

If you fancy spending Christmas and NYE in your very own holiday home, then why not get in touch with Silver Bay Holiday Village today? We’re also hosting our annual Christmas and NYE’s parties too, exclusively for lodge owners, and we’d love to have you along.

Take a look at our free eBrochure here or call our General Manager Jamie on 01407 860 111 to find out more.

You can also take a look at our blog from Sian Ediss, who recently visited our site for a taster weekend!