Festivals
See also: Welsh HolidaysThe patron saint of Wales is Saint David, Dewi Sant in Welsh. St. David's Day is celebrated on 1 March, which some people argue should be designated a public holiday in Wales. Other days which have been proposed for national public commemorations are 16 September (the day on which Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion began) and 11 December (the death of Llywelyn the Last).
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). Additionally, each parish celebrated a Gŵyl Mabsant in commemoration of its native saint.
- 5.) Dydd Santes Dwynwen, a Welsh equivalent to Valentine's Day.
- Additionally, Calennig is a Welsh New Year celebration.
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Wales
Famous quotes containing the word festivals:
“Why wont they let a year die without bringing in a new one on the instant, cant they use birth control on time? I want an interregnum. The stupid years patter on with unrelenting feet, never stopping—rising to little monotonous peaks in our imaginations at festivals like New Year’s and Easter and Christmas—But, goodness, why need they do it?”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“This is certainly not the place for a discourse about what festivals are for. Discussions on this theme were plentiful during that phase of preparation and on the whole were fruitless. My experience is that discussion is fruitless. What sets forth and demonstrates is the sight of events in action, is living through these events and understanding them.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)