Happy Old New Year!

No I haven't gone crazy, or made a typo - I am actually wishing you a Happy Old New Year.  Why??  Well, when I was growing up one of my shcool friends always got January 13th off school.  The rest of us were always very green-eyed, and when asked why she got the day off she would answer that it was to celebrate "Hen Galan", or Old New Year.

Practically all of the children in her village - Cwm Gwaun, Pembrokeshire - would go from house to house singing a special New Year's song in exchange for a little money.  It's a tradition that (to my knowledge) countinues to this day and one that the whole community celebrates.

So I'm sure some of you are thinking that it's all well and good celebrating the new year 12 days after New Year's Day, but what's the point?  Well for reasons unknown to me the lovely people of Cwm Gwaun ignored the change to the Gregorian calendar in 1752 and still celebrate the Jordanian New Year, 12 days later.  Imagine if the Government announced that we were losing 12 days from the end of the year - needless to say it wouldn't go down too well!

How lovely is it that our small communities have these quirky traditions?  Happy Hen Galan everyone!

P.s Do you want to see the hat and gloves I knitted my sister for Christmas??  Here we are then:

Pretty isn't she?!  And here she is putting them to good use: