A Wild Haggis
Wednesday is a double celebration both for the Welsh and the Scots. St Dwynwen's Day is a celebration of the Welsh patron saint of love and Burns Night is a great big booze up celebrating the hard drinking and womanising Scots poet Robbie Burns. So, why is it that the Welsh will be out everywhere for Burns night but be almost nowhere for St Dwynwen? Is it the attraction of the haggis?
A Tamed Haggis
The sad fact is that us Welsh are rubbish at picking a day to celebrate being Welsh. Think of St David's Day for instance; the National Day of Wales recognised all around the world apart from in Wales. Sure, we have a couple of marches and Ynys Mon gives its staff the day off, but that's about it. Then think about St Patrick's Day. What a bash that is across Wales, confirming the rather embarrassing reality that we are far better celebrating the special days of our celtic cousins than we are of our own. What is wrong with us?
Some of the difficulties have come from the inability of schools in Wales to teach their pupils about Wales. There has of course been some change to this since devolution, but it cannot just be put down to education. I still think that many in Wales have a hang up about being Welsh. For instance, many 3rd or 4th generation Welsh still consider themselves Irish from 19th Century links. Also, we are still very much patronised by the London media and politicians, a great example being how 'nice' they all were to us when we did well in the rugby world cup (someone please pass me the sick bucket).
So what is to be done to get our nation to take a little more pride in itself. Well for starters, the London parties can devolve the powers for public holidays so that we can at long last have a day off to celebrate on March 1st. I am bored of the tired old arguments about how it would make us less competitive, when the very same blinkered souls who push this lie then go on to moan about our lack of presence on the world stage. Would there be a better way to make our mark, than by actually being seen to take ourselves seriously on our national day?
We also need to push our history more because as a nation, I doubt there is another of comparable size that has had more influence on the globe in the last 300 years. Yet if we do not know this, why should we expect others to do so. With this in mind, there is a BBC Wales programme in 6 one hour parts called 'the Story of Wales' being shown next month. Maybe, this apparently excellent series will spark greater interest in our nation, within our nation. Only when we start taking a little more pride in ourselves beyond the rugby field, are we likely to instill a little more respect from the rest of the globe.
I would like to point out that I will be purchasing a Scottish single malt whisky tomorrow, not because of Burns but because life would not be the same without it.
ReplyDeleteWell said Ian. Far too many Welsh are afraid of their own shadows half the time, especially in the presence of English people. It's almost as if the Welsh feel compelled to put their natural nature and identity to one side for fear of upsetting the colonial masters - old habits die very hard?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry too much about us getting in on the celebration of St. Patrick though. After all, he was one of us! Nevertheless, I'll be toasting Santes Dwynwen tonight.
"The sad fact is that us Welsh are rubbish at picking a day to celebrate being Welsh. Think of St David's Day for instance; the National Day of Wales recognised all around the world apart from in Wales. Sure, we have a couple of marches and Ynys Mon gives its staff the day off, but that's about it. Then think about St Patrick's Day. What a bash that is across Wales, confirming the rather embarrassing reality that we are far better celebrating the special days of our celtic cousins than we are of our own. What is wrong with us?"
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's true at all. St. David's Day is much more widely celebrated in Wales than St. George's Day or St. Andrew's Day are in England/Scotland. As a child in the Rhondda we'd get a half day off school and I believe that most schools in the area run an Eisteddfod on March 1st.
I've never met a Welshman who celebrates St. Patrick's Day or Burn's Night. I'd go as far as to say that many people see them as tacky and quintessentially English/American.
Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus is trending on Twitter. Perhaps we could bring back the lovespoon tradition and shops sell lovespoons on this day? S4C could make a fantasy series based around Dwynwen and Maelon? Being Welsh is amazing and we're blessed with a rich history and myhtology, it's a shame we don't make more of it.
ReplyDeleteI remember always getting a half day off school for St David's day. We had an Eisteddfod in the morning and many of the girls dressed up in the Welsh costume... That was in the fifties and sixties in Cardiff and South Glam.
ReplyDeleteA group of us from Kevredigezh Kembre-Breizh (Cymdeithas Cymru-Llydaw)always party on the 1st of March.
St Patrick's Day is alsocelebrated in many parts of Brittany as a general Celtic festival. Now there is a campaign to get a Celtic Saint (Sant Ewan) recognised as the patron saint of Brittany...19th May will be the day...so I think that us celts don't do too badly when it comes to celebrating our identity
How many local pubs near you celebrate St David's Day then ask the same question on St Patrick's Day? Sadly, there is no comparison in all parts of Wales I have lived in. Having said that, there is plenty of opportunity to turn that around and I will play my part in doing so.
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