Content

     National holidays 4

     Day of sacred David 4

     Music 6

     Traditional music 7

     Folk music 8

     Pop and rock 9

     Dance 11

     The fine arts 11

     Landscapes 12

     Expansion 14

     Decorative arts 16

     Kitchen 17

     Religion 18

     The Roman Catholicism 19

     Anglican Church 19

     Methodist revival and nonconformism 19

     Branch of Church of the Wales 20

     Islam 20

     Judaism 20

     Other religions 21

     Sports 21

     Traditional sports 21

     Rugby football 22

     Football 22

     Cricket 23

     Boxing 23

     Track and field athletics 23

     Car and motorcycle sport 24

     Other sports 24

        The list of references…………………………………………………….26 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

National holidays

     The sacred patron of the Wales David Vallijsky, Dewi Sant is considered on-vallijski. Day of Sacred David is marked on March, 1st; some consider that this holiday should become state in the Wales. Also dates memorable for the Wales are on September, 16th (day of the beginning of revolt of Ouajna Glindura) and on December, 11th (day of death of Llivelina ап Grifida). Also in the Wales there are four traditional seasonal festivals and Welsh New year.

Day of sacred David

     On March, 1st Welshmen celebrate day sacred David, the patron of the Wales (David Vallijsky). It is one of the major holidays of Welsh community not only in the Wales, but also all over the world in which honor in the beginning of March arrange every possible cultural and mass actions. Date is connected on March, 1st with sacred David's death in 589 year. David Vallijsky has been canonized in 1120, and since a XVIII-th century day of sacred David is considered a national Welsh holiday. Sacred David's figure - one of the most significant in the history of Welsh culture, however he lived in VI century, and since then has remained not enough trustworthy information. The set of legends and strange stories, however the data is connected with his name from different sources differ from each other, and now it is impossible to tell for certain what was David Vallijsky actually. On one of legends, 30 years prior to David's birth to sacred Patrick the angel was and has predicted that is fast in the Wales there will be a great sacred. Sacred David had an origin of noble family: his father was the prince, and mother Nonna, according to a legend, had the niece to King Arthur. It is considered that David has lived till 100 years and for years of wanderings has based 10 monasteries (under other version — 12), preaching Christian belief and educating ancient Celts. Sacred David urged monks to conduct modest life and assiduously to work. During lifetime of David the rumor about it went across all Britain, and its house was a pilgrimage place. In one of the most known legends is narrated about how during the reference to flock the earth under his feet has risen, forming a hill, and on a shoulder to it of village of the pigeon — a symbol of the Holy Spirit. For this reason sacred David can be represented with a white pigeon on a shoulder. According to other legend, in 640 year between Welshmen under leadership of the king of the Wales Kadvalladera (Cadwallader) and saxophones has occurred fight, during which time sacred David has suggested Welshmen to attach leek stalks to hats to distinguish it from enemies. Fight has been won, and the leek became an emblem of the Wales. Day of sacred David (on-vallijski Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant) — the big holiday for all Welshmen, however it isn't the day off. In 2007 the referendum has been held, according to which 87 % of the population of the Wales have voted making its day off. Despite it, Prime Minister Tony Blair of that time has refused to proclaim day sacred David the day off. Now Welsh active workers continue struggle for possibility to make day non-working.

     In the beginning of March Welshmen will organize celebratory actions for all country: here pass festivals, concerts, parades and street celebrations (the largest parade passes in Cardiff, capital of the Wales). Many, especially schoolboys, dress up in traditional Welsh suits, or attach to clothes symbols of the Wales — a leek and a narcissus. If the leek through many centuries associates with the Wales (here from it various foods, and poets even since ancient times prepared devoted it verses) the narcissus became an emblem of the Wales rather recently, in a XIX-th century. For the solemn supper devoted to day of sacred David, prepare traditional Welsh dishes — such, as a ragout from ягнятины and a leek (Cawl Cennin), pies with a hen and a leek or the well-known Welsh flat cakes. In spite of the fact that sacred David conducted rather ascetic way of life and urged to abstain from alcohol, in the Wales at once some breweries make special ale in its honor. This year prince Charles whom as we remember, the prince Welsh »is the title holder«, has visited on March, 1st a Welsh county Carmarthenshire. By the way, Charles — the twenty first prince Welsh, and the very first became the elder son and the successor of king Edward I who have won the Wales and aspiring to strengthen there the influence. Under the legend, Edward I has applied cunning to achieve domination of an English crown in the Wales. When it, having reached impressive military successes in this edge, has collected Welsh princes and has suggested them to recognize vassal dependence on England, those as the main condition have demanded, that the local native who does not know words in English was the prince of the Wales. Edward has there and then allowed a solemn oath to meet this condition. Princes have signed the contract on vassal dependence then Edward has taken out it the son (the future king Edward II), born the day before in the Welsh lock Caernarvon, and has exclaimed:« Here to you the prince Welsh, the native of your country and he doesn't know a word in English! »The legend is known since XVI century. Actually at the time of Edward I aristocracy in England was норманской and spoke on-starofrantsuzski; but Edward II really was born in Caernarvon during campaign of his father in the Wales. It has occurred in 1302, and since then there is a tradition to confer a title on the successor of the British throne of the prince Welsh. Day of sacred David is marked as a patriotic and cultural holiday all over the world. It celebrate not only Welshmen, but also inhabitants of other countries, which ancestors lived in the Wales. With especial scope day of sacred David passes in the USA as many inhabitants of this country have a Welsh origin. In 2003 this day has been officially declared by day of national celebrations of Welsh community of America.

Music

     Welsh threefold Wales often characterize a phrase «the Earth Songs», it speaks about affinity of the people to singing, poetry and music. The most known kind of musical creativity of Welshmen is the chorus, especially man's. Though choral singing, certainly, an important part of current musical life of the Wales, is completely not unique and not it’s most ancient part, choral traditions actually do not leave considerably further the blossoming in a XIX-th century. The most ancient musical tradition of the Wales is the tool folk music. A musical instrument traditional for a Welsh folk music is the harp, namely the Welsh threefold harp. Also traditional for the Wales are stringed and a small horn pibgorn which though have been forced out by other tools in a XVIII-th century, gain again some distribution and now. In 1990 Welsh music receives new sounding, there are new musical groups, such as Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Stereophonics and many other things. Last years the increasing distribution is received by alternative fate and a punk rock, such groups as Lostprophets, The Automatic and Funeral for a Friend have achieved the international recognition.

Traditional music

     Early musical traditions during the 17th and 18th century saw the emergence of more complex carols, away from the repetitive ceremonial songs. These carols featured complex poetry based on cynghanedd, some were sung to English tunes, but many used Welsh melodies such as 'Farwell Ned Puw'. The most common Welsh folk song is the love song, with lyrics pertaining to the sorrow of parting or in praise of the girl. A few employ sexual metaphor and mention the act of bundling. After love songs, the ballad was a very popular form of song, with its tales of manual labor, agriculture and the everyday life. Popular themes in the 19th century included murder, emigration and colliery disasters; sung to popular melodies from Ireland or North America.

     The most traditional of Welsh instruments is the harp, and is considered the national musical item. The triple harp (telyn deires, "three-row harp") is a particularly distinctive tradition: it has three rows of strings, with every semitone separately represented, while modern concert harps use a pedal system to change key by stopping the relevant strings. It has been popularized through the efforts of Nansi Richards, Llio Rhydderch and Robin Huw Bowen. The penillion is a traditional form of Welsh singing poetry, accompanied by the harp, in which the singer and harpist follow different melodies so the stressed syllables of the poem coincide with accented beats of the harp melody.

     The Robert ap Huw manuscript documents 30 ancient harp music pieces that make up a fragment of the lost repertoire of the medieval Welsh bards. The music was composed between the 14th and 16th centuries, transmitted orally, then written down in a unique tablature and later copied in the early 17th century. This manuscript contains the earliest body of harp music from anywhere in Europe and is one of the key sources of early Welsh music.

     Another distinctive instrument is the crwth, also a stringed instrument of a type once widespread in northern Europe, it was played in Wales from the Middle Ages, which, superseded by the fiddle (Welsh Ffidil), lingered on later in Wales than elsewhere but died out by the nineteenth century at the latest. The fiddle is an integral part of Welsh folk music.

Folk music

     Welsh folk is known for a variety of instrumental and vocal styles, as well as more recent singer-songwriters drawing on folk traditions.

     By the late 1970s, Wales, like many of its neighbours, had seen the beginning of a roots revival, the beginnings of which can be traced back to the 1960s folk singer-songwriter Dafydd Iwan. Iwan was instrumental in the creation of a modern Welsh folk scene, and is known for fiercely patriotic and nationalistic songs, as well as the foundation of the Sain record label. The Festival Interceltique de Lorient saw the formation of Ar Log, who spearheaded a revival of Welsh fiddling and harp-playing, and continued recording into the 21st century. A Welsh session band, following in the footsteps of their Irish counterparts Planxty, Cilmeri recorded two albums with a uniquely Welsh feel. Welsh folk rock includes a number of bands, such as Moniars, Gwerinos, Blue Horses, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion and Taran.

     Sain was founded in 1969 by Dafydd Iwan and Huw Jones with the aid of funding from Brian Morgan Edwards. Originally, the label signed Welsh singers, mostly with overtly political lyrics, eventually branching out into a myriad of different styles. These included country music (John ac Alun), singer-songwriters (Meic Stevens), stadium rock (The Alarm) and classical singers (Aled Jones, Bryn Terfel).

     The folk revival picked up energy in the 1980s with Robin Huw Bowen and other musicians achieving great commercial and critical success. Later into the 1990s, a new wave of bands including Fernhill, Rag Foundation, Bob Delyn A'r Ebillion, Moniars, Carreg Lafar, Jac y Do, Boys From The Hill and Gwerinos found popularity. Jac y Do is one of several bands that now perform twmpathau all over the country for social gatherings and public events. Welsh traditional music was updated by punk-folk bands delivering traditional tunes at a much increased tempo; these included early Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion and Defaid. The 1990s also saw the creation of fflach:tradd, a label which soon came to dominate the Welsh folk record industry with a series of compilations, as well as thematic projects like Ffidil, which featured 13 fiddlers. Some Welsh performers have mixed traditional influences, especially the language, into imported genres, Soliloquise for example and especially John ac Alun, a Welsh language country duo who are perhaps the best-known contemporary performers in Welsh.

     In June 2007, Tŷ Siamas was opened in Dolgellau. Tŷ Siamas is the National Centre for Traditional Music, with regular sessions, concerts, lessons, an interactive exhibition and a recording studio.

Pop and rock

     In the non-traditional arena, many Welsh musicians have been present in popular rock and pop, either as individuals, (e.g. Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dave Edmunds, Shakin' Stevens), individuals in groups (e.g. John Cale of The Velvet Underground, Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, Julian Cope of Teardrop Explodes and Andy Scott of Sweet, Roger Glover of Deep Purple and Rainbow), or as bands formed in Wales (e.g. Amen Corner, The Alarm, Man, Budgie, Badfinger, Tigertailz, Young Marble Giants), but not until the 1990s did Welsh bands begin to be seen as a particular grouping. Following on from an underground post-punk movement in the 1980s, led by bands like Datblygu and Fflaps, the 1990s saw a considerable flowering of Welsh rock groups (in both Welsh and English languages) such as Catatonia, Manic Street Preachers, Feeder, Stereophonics, Super Furry Animals, The Pooh Sticks, 60ft Dolls and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.

     The 21st century has seen the emergence of a number of new artists, including Lostprophets, Skindred, Kids In Glass Houses, Duffy, Christopher Rees, Bullet for My Valentine, The Automatic, Goldie Lookin Chain, People in Planes, Los Campesinos!, The Victorian English Gentlemens Club, Attack! Attack!, Funeral for a Friend, Hondo Maclean, Fflur Dafydd, The Blackout, The Broken Vinyl Club, Kyshera and also Marina and the Diamonds. There is a thriving Welsh-language contemporary music scene ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts large crowds and audiences, but they tend to be covered only by the Welsh-language media. More abrasive alternative acts such as Jarcrew, Mclusky and Future of the Left - all well-known within the independent music community and known as Welsh acts - have also received modest commercial success in the UK. Quite a strong neo-progressive/classic rock scene has developed from Swansea based band Karnataka and other bands that have links to them. These include Magenta, The Reasoning and Panic Room.