Calennig
Happy New Year to everyone from cymru66!
In Wales it’s not just Christmas where the giving of gifts is popular. An old Welsh tradition on New Year’s Day is the giving of Calennig. Children would form groups and go from house to house, bearing New Year wishes of health and prosperity for the family. Skewered apples, stuck with corn and evergreen leaves or sprigs were carried and verses were recited or sung at the door of the house. In return, small gifts of food or money were given.
The resulting Calennig would then be displayed in the home or perhaps delivered to friends as a symbolic gift. It was held to be a token of good crops in the coming year.
The Calennig tradition continues today, although often with little more than a “Happy New Year” as Children rush from the house of one relative to another in a mad rush to visit as many as possible before the day is out. In some areas all relatives must be visited by mid-day in order to collect Calennig.
Calennig roughly translates as New Years gift. The Welsh calan means the first day of a season or month.
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