Greatbritannia Blog

The Welsh celebrate their patron saint of lovers on 25 January every year.

The Story of Saint (Santes) Dwynwen

Once upon a time in Wales lived King Brychan Brycheiniog who had over 30 children. She had 24 daughters out of whom Dwynwen was one of the prettiest. She fell in love with a handsome man from the North called Maelon Dyfodrull. However, Dwynwen’s father didn’t support either their love or marriage since he planned her daughter to be bride of a prince.

Dwynwen begged her father to let Maelon love her, but the king refused. So she escaped to the woods where she prayed to God to make her forget Maelon and freeze their love. Her prayers were answered. Maelon was turned into a block of ice while Dwynwen was given three wishes by an angel who visited her.

She wished to be free of Maelon, get never married and finally, she wished to devote the rest of her life helping those who suffered from lost love. Dwynwen became a nun and settled on the Isle of Llanddwyn close to the Isle of Anglesey.

Dwynwen died in arounf 460 CE. Dwynwen’s Church on Llanddwyn Island has been visited by hundreds of pilgrims every year since then, moreover, lovers or newlyweds also visit the place.

The name Dwynwen means “she who leads a blessed life”. Near the church a well can be found. According to folklore, there is a fish in the well that predicts how long-lasting the lovers’ relationship will be. If the fish is swiming in the well, great and blessed marriage will come.

It was nothing to do with Christmas time first, but with Epiphany (i.e. Twelfth Night) and Easter, since the cake is a great mixture of the Twelfth Night Cake and Easter Cake.

Celebrating the last day of the Christmas season, 5 January or Twelfth Night, included the tradition of making a cake for the occasion. The ingredients were flour, eggs, dried fruits, nuts and the seasonings of winter.

When marzipan and ‘Royal icing’ were added, the Christmas Cake was born. Royal icing means the decoration of a sugary paste including lemon juice, first used by British royals to decorate their wedding cakes.

Let’s see how to make it the Victorian Way (via English Heritage)

Another traditional recipe can be found HERE

An important event to mark the beginning of winter has long taken place at Stonehenge in the Salisbury Plains. According to excavations made nearby, the builders of Stonehenge had had great feasts on 21 December and the day had been even more important for them than 21 June (Sumer Solstice).

If Stonehenge had been a giant clock or calendar, on the shortest day of the year Neolithic people would move back to their huts and build a fire themselves as a reminder of sunlight and warmth.

Since 1993, residents of Brighton (and Hove) have marked 21 Deember with “Burning the Clocks”, a parade along Brighton’s lanes and by the sea. No clocks are burned though, but lanters and symbolic figures made of tissue and willow are made and at the end of the ceremonial walk, placed into a bonfire. This procedure symbolises the end of the year.