Gŵyl Mabsant

A Gŵyl Mabsant (Welsh for "Feast of the Patron"), also known as the Patronal Festival or Wake of a parish,^[1] is a traditional Welsh festival held annually in commemoration of the patron saint of a parish. Prior to 1752, the corresponding fair was reckoned by the Saint's Day according to tradition or to the official Catholic or Anglican Calendar of Saints; following the shift to New Style dating, however, the fair was reckoned eleven days later.^[1] (For example, St. Teilo's Fair in Llandeilo was originally held on February 9 but came to be held on the 20th.^[1]) By the 19th century, the fair often began on the following Sunday and then lasted between three days and a week.^[1]

By that time, the Reformation had already removed the religious solemnities formerly observed and replaced them with programmes of recreational activities.^[1] Owing to the combination of betting, feasting, and drinking, parish festivals built up a reputation for their rowdiness.^[2][3] The local, rural nature of the fairs also occasioned many variations in the rules of the contests, leading to disagreements between parishes.^[2][3] The fairs had mostly died out by the 1860s.^[1]

Customs

• Cockfighting: Birds were specially trained for the contest and the owner of a victorious cockerel was held in high esteem; large amounts of money could be wagered on the outcome of the fights.
• Grinning Matches: For old women
• Eating Hot Pudding
• Bando: A team sport, similar to the modern game of field hockey; teams used clubs to strike a ball towards a goal. It continued in some areas until the late 19th century and was particularly popular in Glamorgan.

See also

• List of Welsh saints, including their feasts

References