Wales has a rich tapestry of Christmas traditions, many of which are unique to its culture and history. This includes a number of rather unusual ways of marking the season which may leave holiday makers visiting the country baffled.

To quell your confusion, we thought we would put together a list of some of the most unusual Christmas Traditions in Wales that you probably should know about if you are planning on having a Christmas holiday on Anglesey this year.

1. Plygain Services

The word “Plygain” comes from the Latin “pullicantio” meaning “cockcrow”. This symbolises early morning which is rather appropriate for this Christmas tradition in Wales which involves holding a morning church service between 3am and 6am where soloists and small groups sing carols unaccompanied by any music instruments.

These services date back to the middle ages and still happen in certain rural areas of Wales to this day. So if you are roused from your sleep by the sound of Christmas Carols in the middle of the night, try to enjoy them rather than entering a confused rage.

2. Taffy Making

Taffy is a form of toffee which often includes nuts. There is a Welsh tradition of making taffy on Christmas eve, with foodies often pulling and shaping the mixture into patterns. This is all part of an old tradition which aimed to bring the community together in the run up to the big day.

Another Christmas tradition in Wales which is tied to this is Noson Gyflaith which translates into “Toffee Evening”. This is normally a family activity where toffee is pulled and stretched into shapes and usually takes place on Christmas Eve, with families then gathering together to eat the toffee, sing carols and spread Christmas cheer.

3. Welsh Christmas Foods

Following on from the mention of Taffy, there are a number of other festive food items that are commonly consumed in Wales during the Christmas season.

Bara Brith is one such example, which is a traditional fruit loaf filled with dried fruits and spices. It is roughly similar to Christmas Cake and is therefore particularly common in Wales at this time of year. This is the perfect dessert after you have consumed Cawl. Cawl is a rich meat and vegetable stew that is the ideal winter warmer and therefore commonly consumed during the winter season.

4. Boxing Day Dips

This is a more modern Christmas tradition in Wales which has swept the nation and involves taking a dip into the cold sea on Boxing Day morning.

If you own a holiday home at Silver Bay Holiday Park, there is nowhere better to carry out this tradition than by taking the short walk down to Silver Bay Beach and heading into the waters at our award winning beach. At least you will be located close to your holiday home so that you can run for warming shelter once you have done the deed.

5. Carolling

Singing Christmas Carols isn’t just a tradition in Wales, but there are a number of Welsh language carols which tend to be sung around the nation during the festive season. This includes Ar Gyfer Heddiw’r Bore and Tawel Nos (translates into Silent Night in Welsh).

This again links into another Welsh tradition which tends to happen on New Years Day which involves children going from house to house singing carols and wishing neighbours good wishes in exchange for gifts or money. Think of it as Halloweening, only with a less sinister motive.