Plygain facts for kids

Plygain is a special Welsh Christmas church service. It happens very early in the morning, usually on Christmas Day, between 3 and 6 AM. The name 'plygain' might come from a Latin word meaning "when the rooster crows at dawn." It could also come from a Welsh word meaning "bending," like bending in prayer.

Plygain carols are different from typical Christmas songs. They don't just sing about Jesus's birth. Every Plygain carol also includes verses about his Crucifixion and Resurrection. This service was the only one held at night in the church calendar. People would carry candles and walk in a procession to the church. This tradition has very old roots, even before Christianity.

The word 'plygain' was first written down in the 13th century. Many old Welsh Christmas carols are considered 'plygain' songs. They have a different feel from modern carols. Many of these old songs use a special musical scale called the Dorian mode.

History of Plygain Carols

The Plygain service likely began as a replacement for the traditional Latin Catholic Midnight Mass. Plygain carols were a big part of Welsh Protestant worship from the 1600s to the mid-1800s. The tradition became less popular during the Victorian Era. This was partly because families started having Christmas Eve gatherings instead. Also, the Victorians didn't like the very joyful celebrations that came with Plygain.

However, the tradition has continued in some parts of Wales, especially in the northeast. It has even seen a comeback in recent years.

Unique Plygain Carols

Many Plygain carols were written down. Some were by famous composers like Huw Morus (1622–1709). Many families also had their own songs, passed down through generations. A lot of these songs are still sung today.

Plygain carols are long religious poems. You could call them "sermons in song." They often tell the entire story of salvation through Christ. This includes everything from the Fall in the Garden of Eden to his Second Coming. But their tunes often came from popular folk songs.

These carols are unusual because they always mention the crucifixion of Christ. Most Christmas songs in Western Europe only focus on his birth. They are usually sung in three or four parts. It's considered bad manners to sing the same carol twice in one service. Traditionally, only men sang Plygain carols. This rule became more relaxed in the late 1900s. However, one carol, the Carol y Swper, is still usually sung only by men.

Sometimes, the names of local farms or villages were put into these songs. An example is 'Carol Wil Cae Coch', which means 'Wil Red Farm's Carol'.

Local Traditions and Celebrations

In rural areas, people would gather at farmhouses. They would make a sticky treacle toffee called cyflaith. In the 1830s, people decorated farmhouses with winter plants like holly and mistletoe. In 1774, in Dyffryn Clwyd, people lit candles at 2 AM. They would sing and dance to harp music until the morning service.

In towns, people would start the evening with a torch-lit parade. Young men would walk the local priest from his house to the church. The rest of the parade would sing and blow cow-horns. Similar events happened in places like Laugharne and Llanfyllin.

Candles and Church Decorations

Until recently, many candles were lit throughout the church during the Plygain service. People in the local community would decorate these candles with colored paper and hoops. Some churches would put them on brass candlesticks on the altar. In Dolgellau, the church was decorated with holly and colored candles in chandeliers.

One description from the past tells us about the service: The church would be full of light and people. Singers would perform long, old carols. The crowd would be very quiet, listening carefully. Then, the priest would read a short morning service. After prayers, more singers would perform carols. New singers would join in, singing solos, duets, and group songs. The audience would hum with delight. The service would finish between eight and nine in the morning when people started to get hungry.

In Maentwrog, the church had a very short sermon. The church was decorated with candles on top of posts, attached to the pews. Carol singers in the bell tower brought their own candles because it was too dark to read their prayer books. The priest kept the service short, probably because the singing was the main attraction.

In Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, the church members would take a full communion during the Plygain.

The National Library of Wales notes that in Llanfyllin, torches were replaced by special 'Plygain Candles'. These were made by local candle makers. Many rural churches had no lights for night services. So, each person would often bring a candle to help light the church. When people arrived, the church would be lit with hundreds of candles placed close together. This created a "brilliant" display. This candle display was a very important part of many local Plygain ceremonies. It left a strong impression on those who wrote about it.

Plygain Today

The Plygain tradition continues in some parts of Wales today. Some places where it is still practiced include:

• Abergavenny
• Llanerfyl
• Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa
• Llangynog
• Llanllyfni
• Llanymawddwy
• Lloc
• Mallwyd
• Oswestry (England)

Royal Mail released an 18 pence stamp to celebrate Plygain in 1986. In 2006, a recording of an early 20th-century Plygain was found at the British Library. This recording was made by Lady Ruth Herbert Lewis between 1910 and 1913. It included a Plygain recorded in Drefach, South Wales. This showed the tradition was practiced further south than previously thought. The BBC has reported that these services still happen in Montgomeryshire as recently as 2012.

Some churches now include Plygain celebrations with the Welsh New Year on January 12. This date follows the old Julian calendar.