Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I hope and trust that your readers enjoyed  a happy, peaceful and healthy Christmas !   

However, I wonder how many still uphold the old Welsh traditions of the New Year?

New Year’s Day was formerly more celebratory than Christmas and is known as Dydd Calan.

As children in the 1950’s , we went from door to door locally , collecting “Calennig”[from Calan]  on New Year’s Day. We walked around the area in small groups wishing house-holders …..”Blwyddyn Newydd Dda !” or “Happy New Year!”. Then, hopefully, we would be  given “Calennig” , a small amount of money ,or sometimes a little gift of fruit, like an apple.

At each house, we would recite :-       

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi,        

Ac i bawb sydd yn y ty,       

Dyma  fy nymuniad i,       

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i  chi !!

This translates as:-         

A Happy New Year to you,         

And to everyone in the house,         

This is my wish,         

A Happy New Year to you all ! 

Calennig  derives from the Roman “Kalends”, signifying the “First day of the month”. This also gives us the English word, “Calendar”.  Nos Galan is “New Year’s Eve”. 

Hence, “Noson Calan Gaeaf”  is now  the monstrously [‘scuse the pun!] Americanised and commercialised Hallowe’en,  the night before “All Saints’ Day”……November 1st !   There were different traditions and spoken verses,or songs, in various parts of Wales on Dydd Calan. In South East Wales, children carried  apples ,decorated with holly and cloves and supported on a tripod of three twigs. There are old photographs of this on the internet. 

It will be a crying shame if these ancient Welsh traditions are allowed to die out. Sadly, they accompany the demise of the language and the Welshness of Wales. 

Of course,  socialising on New Year’s Day 2022 will not be helped by omicron. On that note:-           

We’ve had both Alpha and Beta,           

As well as Gamma and Delta,           

Some of these have now gone,           

And we’ve got Omi-cron!           

Let’s hope  we don’t get to Omega !!!??

……..I’m sure we won’t!!!

Blwyddyn  Newydd Dda  i bawb !! Happy New Year Everyone !!

Lyn Jenkins,

Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park,

Gwbert,

Cardigan,

Wales.

SA431PR