Chris Baglin
Well, Christmas has arrived once again, it feels like only yesterday, the staff here at Menter Iaith Fflint a Wrecsam were hosting a series of ‘Summer of Fun’ activities for families under the warm summer sun. But here we are at the end of 2022 looking forward to some holiday rest and festivities.
Menter Iaith have already started on their Christmas celebrations with not one but two Santa’s Grotto with the one and only Siôn Corn. It was great to see the smiles on everyone’s faces at Jade Jones pavilion in Flint with families joining in with a story session, art and crafts, Christmas decorations and much more!
We also had help from three great Coleg Cambria students who volunteered on the night! Diolch yn fawr i chi!
…and then in our Grotto at Tŷ Pawb, we could hear the Welsh Christmas song “Pwy sy’n dŵad dros y bryn?” from far away. Canu gwych!
But the Christmas celebrations have just started with many more Welsh traditions to come, including the Plygain services, where you can hear traditional Welsh Carols, you can find out more about them on our website, calendr digwyddiadau or on their website www.plygain.org.
With one eye looking forward to the new year, why not join Dawnswyr Delyn on their tour with Y Fari Lwyd around Flintshire pubs on Friday, 6th of January, starting at 7pm or join in their annual twmpath on the 7th of January in Mold. Join in the fun with us!
Before I leave you, I’d like to ask who’s heard about a ‘Christmas Box’? Was it a tradition where you lived growing up?
When i was a little kid, growing up in Wales, the elderly and the kind in our village gave me pocket money at this time of year and would tell me to put it in my Christmas box.
I didn’t know in till recently when I read it in a book about Christmas in Wales that it was an old tradition here. Before the time of raping paper, children in Wales would keep a box under the tree and during December would receive small items such as toys, sweets and pocket money to put in the box which was to be opened on Christmas day.
Has anyone else heard of a Christmas box, maybe a story told by parents or grandparents? Let us know and share with us your own traditions!
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!