Holidays in Wales | When to Visit
Holidays in Wales are similar to those around the world but there are also other dates that you should know when visiting and how you can join in the celebrations.
The holidays in Wales have a few special days that differ from those in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. This article will help you learn about what is celebrated, on which days, and what happens in South Wales on those days.
January 1st – New Year’s Day
Contents (jump to)
Kicking off the year, the severely hungover are uploading copious amounts of ‘new year, new me’ status’s. Following these are other severely hungover folk’ uploading status’s who slate the ‘new year, new me’ resolutions. On the other hand, Barry Island (home to Gavin and Stacey), is bursting at the sandy seams with every man and his dog (literally), lined up along the beach preparing themselves for the midday tradition. These brave women, men, children, pets all stand in rows waiting for the klaxon alarming them it is their time to run in and out of the sea. It’s symbolic for washing away last year and starting the new year afresh. We all know, however, that everyone is likely to revert to old ways by January 2nd. It is, however, a great celebration to take part in or watch with a bag of fish and chips on the sidelines!
Read next: Gavin and Stacey GuideNote: If you have never seen Gavin and Stacey but want to get a feel of Barry Island, get the DVD copies here.
January 25th – Dydd Santes Dwynwen
In Wales, there is Saint Dwynwen who is the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Basically, this is Wales’ version of Valentine’s Day. Greetings of ‘Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus’ are exchanged (meaning Happy St Dwynwen Day). Cards and gifts are sent to loved ones. If you want to send a Welsh gift to someone, a Welsh love spoon engraved with names is a lovely touch. There are traditional Welsh love spoons you can buy from Amazon to celebrate this unique holiday in Wales.
February 14th – Valentine’s Day
Dydd Santes Dwynwen, however, doesn’t replace the popular Valentine’s Day which is celebrated throughout the UK. Love films are showed on the TV, flowers are bought last minute, tables and hotel rooms are booked and love is definitely in the air.
Rugby Six Nations
The Rugby Six Nations is classed as national celebration in the Welsh land. These types of holidays in Wales aren’t official but locals pride themselves in fully embracing national pride on rugby days. Specifically, when Wales play England. The Rugby Six Nations is an annual Rugby competition involving Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France. If Wales beats all other countries during the competition, it is known as the Grand Slam and a moment of immense pride for the Welsh! People dress up in fancy dress, decorate their houses and business with Welsh decorations like this cheesy selection and wear either Welsh Rugby shirts or something red. Most pubs in South Wales will be playing the games on big screens and if you’re lucky, free curry at half time.
A very important part of rugby games, and all sports for that matter, when Wales play is the National Anthem because it touches our hearts. Not everyone sings along, some prefer to stay silent but it is considered rude to talk through the Anthem for the passion is felt by all. The whole National Anthem is in Welsh and translation into English does not do it justice but here is a taster:
Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Yn Annwyl I Mi roughly means ‘The Land of My Fathers is Dear To Me.’
March 1st – St David’s Day
St. David is the patron saint of Wales and in celebration, March 1st is St. David’s Day. Many people dress up as Welsh Ladies, wear Welsh rugby tops or other imagery associated with Wales. Imagery for this day include daffodils, leeks, dragons, the flag, rugby balls and welsh lady hats. Welsh foods such as bara brith and welsh cakes are popular to find around this time. I recently read a great book about Welsh food by Thomas Kelly who gives winning recipes for success (look up number 28 to learn how to make scrumptious Welsh cakes.
There is usually Eisteddfods happening across the country which is a festival celebrating talent in that area. The most prestigious prize of an Eisteddfod is to win the Bardd which means you are the best poet and get to sit in the Bardd’s chair! Welsh songs are sung on March 1st such as Calon Lan and Sospan Fach. Last but not least, it is not St. David’s Day without singing the National Anthem.
As we say in Wales, Cymru am byth!
Shrove Tuesday
Also known as Pancake Day!! Pancake adverts, ingredients and recipes are found everywhere, preparing for the day’s festivities. My personal favourite is Nutella-filled, homemade pancakes. Yum! The origin of this day comes from being known as the ‘fat day’ where people would enjoy feasts before fasting for Lent.
Ash Wednesday
This is always the day after Shrove Tuesday and marks the start of Lent. Lent is a 40-day period before Easter for reflection and to symbolise Jesus’ time in the desert. Usually, people will give up something they enjoy for Lent. On Ash Wednesday, participants of Lent are given an ash mark on their foreheads.
Mother’s Day
Usually in March, this is a day to celebrate your mam (mum in Welsh) or anyone who represents that figure. Restaurants are always busy on this day, especially those serving a Sunday dinner and you have to book in advance for a table!
April 1st – April Fools’ Day
I’m not sure anyone actually knows where this tradition started but we all have them to thank. This is one day of the year when we all become the joker… if we remember. If we forget, it’s likely the joke will be on us! It’s a day of fun and tom-foolery! Here is an article that gives a few theories as to where it all started.
Good Friday
This is the Friday before Easter and remembers the day that Jesus died on the cross. In Wales, it is a public day off work (if you work in certain places of course such as local government and schools). Many people acknowledge Good Friday by ensuring they eat fish on this day.
Easter Sunday
The anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Christianity is remembered on Easter and is one of the most, if not the most, important dates in the Christian calendar. For non-Christians, Easter is still celebrated throughout South Wales by having a full roast dinner and exchanging Easter Eggs/ chocolate. An egg is a symbol of new life and a chocolate egg is popular to buy on Easter Sunday, usually delivered by the Easter Bunny.
The date of Easter changes every year because it falls on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon (the full moon following the spring equinox). The date of Easter determines the date of Good Friday, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.
Easter Monday
Those who are lucky to have Good Friday off as a bank holiday, also get this day off! This is how it is classed as a ‘public holiday in Wales.’ This is usually a day of being hungover as Bank Holiday Sunday is always a great night out for drinking!
May Bank Holidays in Wales
In May, there are two holidays in Wales; May Day and Late May Bank Holiday. These again are public holidays where we will get the first Monday of May off work and another Monday toward the end of May. The Sunday preceding these days are filled with celebrations of drinking as there’s no work the next day. Happy days!
Father’s Day
Usually falls in June, this is a day to celebrate dads and anyone who is a similar figure to a dad! Remember to make a booking ahead of time to secure a table at restaurants.
August Bank Holiday
Here rolls around another bank holiday which means another day off! As I write this, it does seem like there are lots of Bank Holidays in Wales but actually the UK (with 8 altogether) is in the list of the countries with the least amount of public holidays according to this article by the Telegraph.
October 31st – Halloween
All Hallows Eve is a special night full of decorations, bobbing apples and fancy dress. Get to the cinema for horror films and stock up on treats for kids knocking on your doors!
November 5th – Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night
A special night observed in the UK is the remembrance of Guy Fawkes who, in 1605, was part of the Gunpowder Plot (a failed attack on Parliament). The bonfire tradition started when people were setting up bonfires as a thanksgiving that the plot didn’t happen. Bonfires and firework displays are set up around Wales on this night or the closest Saturday night. It is one of the busiest nights on Barry Island where a huge firework display is put on for free as spectators cram onto the promenade, eating fish and chips and waving sparklers. In some places, stuffed “guys” will be found outside of shops with people shouting ‘penny for the guy’. I’m not sure what the relevance of this is, but it happens! Extra caution and safety must be taken on this day.
A poem you may hear chanted that we all learned as children goes like this:
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
December 24th – Christmas Eve
Although not a day off, Christmas Eve has a real buzz as the start of the Christmas holidays in Wales. All the pubs/bars are open and filled with jolly people dancing to Christmas songs all night. As children, though, this is one of the most exciting times when they get their new pyjamas and put out milk and a minced pie for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph!
December 25th – Christmas Day
In Wales, most families will exchange presents before having a Turkey dinner with vegetables, gravy, Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets. Local pubs are open in the mornings and it’s a nice tradition to have an early drink with neighbours and family. Dinner consists of starters, pulling Christmas crackers over dinner, deserts, a well-needed nap, games and more snacks later in the evening. Oh, and most people (except for restaurants who serve Christmas dinner) have this day off!
December 26th – Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a staple part of Christmas break with another day off! Except for those in retail, however, as it’s an important day for all the Boxing Day sales! Usual activities include: seeing family and friends, eating leftovers from Christmas, and going out for a drinking session in the evening!
December 31st – New Year’s Eve
Last but not least, is New Year’s Eve. This isn’t a hugely-celebrated holiday in Wales, especially not as much as in Scotland, for instance. There is still, however, a huge buzz wherever you go with cheesy comments like ‘won’t see you until next year’. It’s a time of reflection and to think about New Year’s resolutions but secretly everyone knows they will be doing the same things by January 2nd.
As you can see, public holidays in Wales vary from around the world and even from neighbouring England. If you happen to be visiting Wales during these times, look up whatever is going on around these dates! I hope this helped you understand holidays in Wales a little better. For a small nation, we have big ways to celebrate and enjoy our year!
Is there anything that you do that is specific only to your country? I’d love to learn about holidays in other countries. Let me know in the comments or on socials!
If you like learning about holidays in Wales, please pin it for later!
Disclosure: This blog post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no extra cost to you, I may earn commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
I always use booking.com to arrange my accommodation when I visit any place. If you’re visiting Wales during any of these holidays, book your accommodation below!
