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Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

Starting into a new year I thought I'd open a new thread covering our ancient rites and customs. The trigger for this is that last night I went over to Ynys Mon following the call of the Mari Lwyd. Originally associated with South Wales (Glamorgan, Camarthenshire and Pembrokeshire), this ancient New Year custom has a couple of years ago been brought to Anglesey by a group of people. This year has been the second time I attended and very enjoyable it was! After summoning the Mari Lwyd into the square opposite Beaumaris castle with song and verse, there where plenty of opportunities for photos/selfies. A group of kids had earlier in the day made their own wooden effigies of a Mari Lwyd and presented their creations to the life sized one. After yet more photo shots and group chatter, led by the fiddler and other musicians off we went to the local pubs to get the Mari a drink (and enjoyed a pint or two ourselves). After the third pub I called it a day but the Mari was still thirsty and helped the local economy till 2 o'clock in the morning. All in all, what a wonderful way of seeing the new year in and honouring the old traditions of Hen Gymru! You are all invited to share your thoughts and  stories about the seasonal celebrations, may they be very localized ones or more generally observed. I am keen to find out!!!

 

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  • Like 5
Posted
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Snow in winter, good sun at other times with appropriate rain.
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
Posted (edited)

 Wetterfrosch crikey!  All looks fab if a bit crazy scary.   Don’t think our valley has a history like that - mainly farming, mining and ‘chapel’.  However, will ask around, as it ties into my Postgrad studies on magic, myth and cosmology.  Thank you for sharing it with us.   

Edited by snefnug
  • Thanks 1
Posted
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Snow in winter, good sun at other times with appropriate rain.
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
Posted

On another note, I note the ‘warm’ spell we are entering into does not now seem to be as ‘warm’ as previously indicated?  Temps for us reaching the balmy heights of 10C for a couple of days before declining.  But that’s the METO app, and we know apps are fickle critters.

Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
Posted

The snow is still here despite a max of 4.2c but it did turn out clear and sunny today..

Very slow thaw high pressure is very high indeed currently..

Partly clear now snow is frozen 2.5c

Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

 snefnug Similarly here, just one day supposed to be reaching 10 C and the rest constant at 8 C max. Don't really mind, would be far too early if real warmth were to arrive. At least no storms or day long  trenching rain for a while, just lots of cloud with perhaps the odd brighter spell. Just as well as next Friday is Old Twelfth Night when we will again be wassailing our apple trees in the garden for which benign weather conditions will be much appreciated!

Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

 Snowyowl9 Must say that my layer of icy graupel/snow pellets/frozen rain was so hard that it held out long after temperatures remained in the positive. But as soon as the winds changed from a comparatively dry easterly to a much moister southwesterly and 5 C was reached it all went within a few hours time. Even up on Crib Nantlle the thaw continues and the snow line creeps up steadily. It's certainly been a different winter so far, compared with previous years and much more seasonal. Out of interest I had another look at the NW winter forecast for January and so far it appears to be way out with a strong Atlantic Jet and frequent lows passing through being favoured there. Even the best of us don't always get it right which is a consolation to my own misinterpretations! Nos da pawb!  

Posted
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Snow in winter, good sun at other times with appropriate rain.
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
Posted

 Wetterfrosch I will wassail mine with a little chat and a cup of tea.  Think neighbours would be too freaked out with firing of shotguns, singing and mulled cider warmed with a hot poker stick, or maybe they wouldn’t?     

Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

 snefnug Here in our back garden in the middle of he village we are not going quite as far as shotguns but tend to leave it at drums and bells. I normally throw some home brewed beer at the trees and stick slices of toast into the forks of branches where they may stay for a while while reciting some verse to bestow good wishes to the trees. On our plot of land on the Llyn we went round a few years ago with friends and made noises of all sorts, using also metal pan lids and I blew my cow horn wherever we stopped. The farmer in the opposite field, who happened to move livestock that day, stopped a few times in his tracks in bemusement seeing these potty people doing funny things. Even here in the village neighbours seem to have made comments about those 'weird' things we are getting up to. Being of a certain age now, I now longer paticularly care what they think and don't even try 'to fit in'.  

  • Like 1
Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

Seems the clocks are ticking at a different speed in Cwm Gwaun/Gwaun Valley of Pembrokeshire where the small community still celebrates Hen Galan/Old New Year on today's date, stubbornly following the Julian calendar. Children get the day off school, go all day from door to door singing  Welsh songs in exchange for gifts, farmers open their doors to the community for a feast, horses skulls (Mari Lwyd again) are paraded around the streets to offer blessings onto neighbours and people party the night away at the Dyffryn Arms pub. Good on them, hope the have great fun!

  • Insightful 1
Posted
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Snow in winter, good sun at other times with appropriate rain.
  • Location: Glyn Ceiriog. 197m ASL
Posted

Gloriously mild day today, such a joy to be able to walk about not worrying about ice and slippage.  Clear blue skies, gentle breeze, smiling faces, happy temperaments.  Looking on meto app temperatures dip steadily during the week, especially nighttime ones.  Looking on MADMOD hunt for some other whackingly cold spell on the up.  Whatever happens, it will.  Today is Julian Calendar’s New Year’s Day and mine too.  Happy New Year!

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

Happy St Dwynwen's Day to you all! Don't know if any of you, or indeed anyone in Cymru, still takes notice of, let alone still celebrates the feast day of the Welsh Saint of lovers? What a wonderful day it is for a pilgrimage to her shrine at Llandwyn Island, just like in the picture one of which regularly heads the NW daily forecast. I myself will be celebrating on this day with family the recent acceptance of my son as lecturer for herbal medicine at Lincoln college. Ten years ago he left Lincoln Uni as a graduate and now he will be returning as a teacher to the college to where the course has been moved. Very much proud of his achievements, after some early struggles things suddenly all fall into place! Enjoy this day all!

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  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

Happy Candlemas all! Whether you mark this day in any way or not, here is the ultimate long-range weather forecast:

'If Candlemas Day be fair and bright winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again.'

'When the cat lies in the sun in February, she will creep behind the stove in March.'

'Of all the month of the year, curse a fair February.'

'If it thunders in February, it will frost in April.'

'If February give much snow, a fine summer it doth foreshow.'

I wonder if any of you have come across any other sayings/rhymes related to Candlemas. In Wales it used to be celebrated as Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau (Mary's festival of the candles) and is thought to have derived from the pagan festival of Imbolc/Gwyl Ffraid (Ffraid being the Welsh name for the Irish Brighid who later  became St Brigid) which marks the beginning of spring. Customs and traditions related to this festival can be traced back to pre-reformation times and includes visits to sacred wells, lighting and blessing of candles (obvious choice!) and various forms of divination. Due to work commitments I will only tomorrow together with family and friends pay a visit to our finest well at Llangybi where we will be collecting some well water and cutting rushes to turn into Brighid's crosses to decorate and bless our hearths with. One ailment the well water is said to cure is lameness and crutches have in the past been discarded there by people who no longer needed them. One of our elderly Labradors (now almost 14!) is suffering from arthritis which makes her somewhat unsteady on her hind legs but during our visit a couple of years ago she plunged herself into the stream of outflowing well water which was very high at the time so that she was fully submerged by it. We could hardly believe seeing her the next day much firmer in her stride and ever since I take her for a dip into the well water which works for her to this day and saves me the £60 for a monthly injection at the vet's.  

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  • Like 3
Posted
  • Location: Pontypridd, Wales 240m asl
  • Location: Pontypridd, Wales 240m asl
Posted

Latest forecasts suggesting snow/wintry mix could well be our weather this coming Friday with a biting easterly.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Posted
  • Location: swansea craig cefn parc 160 m asl
  • Location: swansea craig cefn parc 160 m asl
Posted

Iinto Saturday snow threat increase as front pushes into Wales front the South East.

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Posted
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold snowy winters, pleasently warm summers without the extremes
  • Location: Dyffryn Nantlle, 117 m ASL
Posted

 keithlucky Remains to be seen if any of it makes it across the mountains but I would be very happy for anyone who might be lucky enough to see some snow.🤞

  • Like 1
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