Tuesday 25 January 2022

Festivals: Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen’s Day)

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen’s Day), isn't a pagan celebration but it has a lot of folklore attached to it. It's the Welsh equivalent of Valentine’s Day and is on January 25th. 

Love spoons are traditionally given as tokens of love on that day. In these would have been hand carved from wood, and personal to the maker and the object of their affection. Making one took a good amount of time and they were more often given as a proposal of marriage rather than as just a sign of affection. 

They are also given as wedding gifts, although nowadays more often bought than handmade. I prize the tiny one in the photo, which I was given as a wedding favour at my niece’s wedding, in recognition of her own Welsh family connections. 

Nowadays cards for the day are also as likely to be exchanged as spoons, but I think the spoons are lovely.

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