Easter Traditions in Wales
We all probably know that each country has its own ever so slightly different celebrations during the Easter period, be it dousing people in water or children covering their faces in soot.
What people may not realise is that even in Britain, many regions have their own special traditions.
Wales is proud to have its own Easter traditions which stretch back centuries.
Its Easter celebrations start on Suly Blodau (Sunday of Flowers) or as it's more commonly know Palm Sunday.
On this day it is customary to decorate the graves in churchyards with beautiful floral arrangements in readiness for Easter and the festival of the Resurrection.
Before the graves are decorated they are often cleaned, weeded and even whitewashed before garlands of daffodils, rosemary, rue, primroses and crocuses and placed.
Y Groglith is Welsh for Good Friday and has a number of customs associated with it.
One of the most well known is one which occurs in Tenby along the Pembrokeshire coast.
On this day all business with in the town was suspended with even horse and carts stopped and not a person to been seen on the streets anywhere.
People would then walk barefoot to the church in order not to disturb the earth, Jesus' burial place.
There was also a custom of "making Christ's bed" which saw long reeds gathered from the river and woven to gather by the children of the town.
The children would use the reeds to create the figure of a man and then laid them upon wood crosses and leave them in quite fields to rest in peace.
Llun y Pasg is Welsh for Easter Monday.
As with many customs and rituals in Wales the hills and mountains play an integral part and Easter Monday celebrations are no exceptions.
The festivities start earlier on Easter Monday with a procession to the top of nearby mountains before the sun has even risen.
Crowds then watch the sunrise in honour of the resurrection.
Some areas of Wales are known to carry bowls of water to the summit in order to reflect the rising sun while some very energetic people were said to have performed three somersaults as the sun rises.
What people may not realise is that even in Britain, many regions have their own special traditions.
Wales is proud to have its own Easter traditions which stretch back centuries.
Its Easter celebrations start on Suly Blodau (Sunday of Flowers) or as it's more commonly know Palm Sunday.
On this day it is customary to decorate the graves in churchyards with beautiful floral arrangements in readiness for Easter and the festival of the Resurrection.
Before the graves are decorated they are often cleaned, weeded and even whitewashed before garlands of daffodils, rosemary, rue, primroses and crocuses and placed.
Y Groglith is Welsh for Good Friday and has a number of customs associated with it.
One of the most well known is one which occurs in Tenby along the Pembrokeshire coast.
On this day all business with in the town was suspended with even horse and carts stopped and not a person to been seen on the streets anywhere.
People would then walk barefoot to the church in order not to disturb the earth, Jesus' burial place.
There was also a custom of "making Christ's bed" which saw long reeds gathered from the river and woven to gather by the children of the town.
The children would use the reeds to create the figure of a man and then laid them upon wood crosses and leave them in quite fields to rest in peace.
Llun y Pasg is Welsh for Easter Monday.
As with many customs and rituals in Wales the hills and mountains play an integral part and Easter Monday celebrations are no exceptions.
The festivities start earlier on Easter Monday with a procession to the top of nearby mountains before the sun has even risen.
Crowds then watch the sunrise in honour of the resurrection.
Some areas of Wales are known to carry bowls of water to the summit in order to reflect the rising sun while some very energetic people were said to have performed three somersaults as the sun rises.
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