02 March, 2009

Dressing up at school

Yesterday was St David's Day. This time last year, I was a bit stunned to discover quite how seriously this is taken in Wales. Luckily, Woolworths came to the rescue (another reason to lament their passing). But I was a bit slow to take pictures of the girls in their outfits so here they are this morning, on their way to school, to join the many other children dressed up like this. A slightly surreal but truly delightful sight is a playground celebrating St David's Day.


And all morning they will be having their Eisteddfod, singing and reciting in Welsh. I've been interested to read Preseli Mags post on her blog Life in the Preseli Hills, on the complications of living in a bilingual world in Wales, with children at Welsh school. Here in the south-east of Wales, very few people speak Welsh and there are lots of English living here, which means we don't face similar issues. And in fact most of the Eisteddfod is opaque to the children and the adults. But I'm glad they celebrate the place and culture that they live in, even if much of it remains quite obscure to them, and certainly me.

3 comments:

Ruth said...

The girls are smashing in their St. David's Day costumes. But I think they'd be smashing in a burlap bag.

I visited you yesterday from Don's blog, because he highly recommended you. Thanks for coming by and telling me about Hoagy. I responded to you there.

Almost Mrs Average said...

I have so many wonderful memories of dressing up for St David's Day. Thanks for sharing the photo, it's brought it all back. :-D

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Great photo.
I am also an incomer but to North East Wales, although I do feel a connection as my grandmother came from about 8 miles away. I am learning Welsh and if you have the time or the inclination I would recommend it - a beautiful and difficult language and an insight into the country we live in.