The whole day of activities concentrates on how our Welsh forefathers would have celebrated Christmas.
Jên Glyn, Grey Evans and Edward Morris Jones will be telling traditional Christmas stories, playing traditional games and singing carols; Elen ac Eleri (two of the Nant’s staff) will be teaching the children how to make decorations and will talk about the tradition of collecting calennig – a Welsh custom where children go from door to door wishing people a Happy New Year and are given money or sweets in return and also canu Plygain, again unique to Wales, this is a religious service of singing without accompaniment held between 3am and 6am on Christmas morning; before Glyn Jones from Pencaenewydd will be preparing cyflaith (a type of toffee) – a skilled tradition in Wales which used to be carried out on Christmas Eve.
They will all take home a bag of cyflaith and their hand-made decoration as a reminder of the day.
Elen Thomas, the Nant’s Education Officer and organiser of this event said,
“By coming to the Nant to learn about these Welsh traditions we hope that the children will keep these traditions going for another generation. Children from all over Gwynedd will come to the Nant over the next fortnight and hopefully there will be just as much enthusiasm about the week of events held here in January – art workshops on the theme of Santes Dwynwen.”
She added:
“We are also grateful to the Arts Council for Wales who have part-funded these Christmas activities – their contribution is very helpful in enabling us to provide these important experiences for the children of Gwynedd and beyond.”