Magical Christmas Legends from Wales

Christmas has always been a time for extraordinary stories, and in Wales, the season has brought forth moments of creativity, unity, and remarkable achievements. From the inaugural Eisteddfod at Cardigan Castle in 1176 to the unexpected peace of the Christmas Truce in 1914, this festive period has left its mark on history. Alongside these events, the season has seen the birth of iconic figures whose contributions have shaped Welsh culture and beyond. This article takes you on a journey through some of the most memorable Welsh Christmas tales, blending history, humanity, and celebration.

 

The first Eisteddfod

The first Eisteddfod, for instance, took place at Christmas 1176. Poets, narrators, and musicians gathered for a few days during the season to compete for two chairs, one for poetry and the other for music. The Eisteddfod was held at Cardigan Castle and hosted by Rhys ap Gruffydd, known affectionately as Lord Rhys to his friends.

The competition was not just a sporting contest but a celebration of Welsh identity that connected people through their shared language and heritage. The bardic practices continue today in the National Eisteddfod of Wales, an annual cultural event attracting up to 170,000 visitors every year from all over the globe.

Plaque outside Cardigan Castle commemorating the start of the Welsh Eisteddfod tradition.

Although most contemporary Eisteddfodau occur in summer, the 1176 celebrations recall a period when the midwinter celebrations became a natural occasion for neighbourhoods to meet together, where they were entertained during the darkest of nights. 

Since the establishment of the National Eisteddfod Association in 1880, the National Eisteddfod has been held annually, except in 1914 and 1940 due to the World Wars, and in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then, it adapted through radio broadcasts and virtual events, preserving its cultural legacy.

This historical link between music, poetry, and community spirit remains a cornerstone of Welsh culture, underscoring the timelessness of artistic expression as a force for unity and inspiration.

Here is the iconic Dafydd Iwan Singing Yma o Hyd (We are are still here in the Tregaron Eisteddfod in 2022.

 

 

The Christmas Truce

Much of the Welsh army was present at the infamous Christmas Day 1914 informal truce, as the First World War broke out across Europe. One of the regiments that stood at the front on this most mir aculous and fortunate day were the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

There have been numerous versions of the truce but none is more telling or more bloody than the one provided by a private in the regiment, Frank Richards. He co-authored a book, Old Soldiers Never Die, with the poet Robert Graves, and one of its chapters is about the Christmas truce. Richards had been there, at the front, as the informal ceasefire opened:

"On Christmas morning we stuck up a board with 'A Merry Christmas' on it. The enemy had stuck up a similar one... Two of our men threw their equipment off and jumped on the parapet with their hands above their heads. Two of the Germans done [sic] the same and commenced to walk up the river bank, our two men going to meet them. They met and shook hands and then we all got out of the trench."

Officers on both sides spent the day in each other’s company, in No Man’s Land. Nobody shot or shot back and Frank Richards himself even mentioned that the Germans had sent their Welsh neighbours two barrels of beer. It was, he remembered, weak and watery, not like good Welsh ale.

The unofficial midnight truce was enforced on almost the entire front and while high command were appalled, Welshmen such as Frank Richards were content to lay down their guns for the day and mingle with fellow young men who were also fighting for their country.

 

Christmas Evans

A few notable Welsh births occurred on Christmas Day or at Christmas. The well-known Non-conformist preacher Christmas Evans was born on Christmas Day 1766 in a village near Llandysul in Ceredigion. He was the son of a poor shoemaker, illiterate and more than a little rough: he had lost an eye in a vicious fight as a boy.

It was the Presbyterian minister David Davies who saved his life, teaching him to read and write in English and Welsh. The young Christmas went on to become a Baptist preacher, his fame soon sweeping Wales. He was a brilliant intellectual and imaginative man, and the sermons he delivered on his preaching tours were so effective that he became known as "the Welsh John Bunyan".

 

The Gentle Giant

The footballer John Charles was born the day after Boxing Day 1931. He was dubbed the Gentle Giant, never being sent off in a career that also included Leeds, Cardiff and Juventus. Don Murray, who sat with Charles at Cardiff City, once considered him to be the best player of his generation:

"He played for Wales on 38 occasions, and took them to the quarter finals of the World Cup. He could play at centre forward or at centre back - at international level. That's a rare and very real ability. I went out to Italy with him, long after he'd left Juventus, and people still remembered him with love and affection. He was simply a great player."

Other notable Welsh births include actor Anthony Hopkins, born on New Year’s Eve 1937, celebrated for his Oscar-winning role in The Silence of the Lambs, and singer Aled Jones, born on 29 December 1970, renowned for his performance of Walking in the Air from The Snowman.

Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Below is Aled Jones performing 'Walking in the Air' (1985) 

What’s your favorite part of Welsh Christmas culture? Leave your comments below! ⤵️