A Mari Lwyd
A lot of countries have their own wierd and wonderful traditions on New Years Eve and we in Wales are no different. (Hope everyone has had a great Christmas by the way!) One of the most famous was the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare) and im grateful for having attended Welsh schools (Ysgol Parc Y Tywyn, Burry Port and Strade nr Llanelli) that I remember enacting this fabulous tradition. It also appealed to my more morbid side because it involved skulls. "Skulls?" I hear you ask astounded. Yes skulls, a horse skull to be precise. What you did was somehow get hold of a horse skull, fit it with fake eyes (and maybe ears) and cover it with a white sheet/blanket and ribbons. Attach a wooden pole and voila! The Mari Lwyd was ready.
The Mari would be taken door to door in a noisy procession (while drinking.) Those who opened their doors were greeted by Welsh poems and insults and were expected to reply in the same manner in a kind of 'verbal battle'. And win or lose the result was the same when Mari Lwyd and her crowd were called in for drinks with the householders.
Alas due to the public drunkeness and insults, the chapels of the 19th century urged people to swap insults to Christmas carols and many believe that this taming of the tradition led to the demise of the Mari Lwyd as its seldom seen these days sadly.
