The Welsh Flag

Arts & culture

We like to celebrate our love of arts and literature. Hay-on-Wye in mid Wales is home to the world’s most famous literary and arts festival(link is external). When Bill Clinton came to town, he called it ‘the Woodstock of the mind’.

The famous poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in South Wales in 1914. His poems and short stories, and in particular his play Under Milk Wood, work best when read out loud. Today the Dylan Thomas Prize(link is external) is awarded every two years to recognise the best published writer in English under the age of 30 from anywhere in the world. 2014 marked the centenary of the birth of Dylan Thomas, with year long celebrations held across the world. Dylan Day(link is external) is now celebrated every 14 May.

More recent writers to come from Wales include children’s favourite Roald Dahl, who wrote Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Ken Follett who wrote The Pillars of the Earth.

The National Museum in Cardiff(link is external) is the home of the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings outside Paris. Entry to see the collection, which includes Renoir’s famous Blue Lady, La Parisienne, Rodin’s The Kiss and Monet’s Waterlilies paintings, is free.

The Artes Mundi Prize(link is external) is held here every two years and is one of the largest visual art prizes in the world. The international prize celebrates and recognises artists across the globe.

Gareth Bale

Gareth Frank Bale - known Welsh football player of the Spanish club "Real Madrid" and the national team of Wales. Speaks at a right-winger. It features high speed and well-delivered blow. Wikipedia

Born: July 16, 1989 (26 years old), Cardiff, UK

Height: 1.83 m

Weight: 74 kg

Salary: 15 million GBP (2014)

Partner: Emma Rhys Jones

Team: Real Madrid (# 11 / midfielder), Wales national football team (midfielder)

National symbols of Wales

The Leek

According to legend, St David advised the Britons on the eve of a battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps so as to easily distinguish friend from foe. This helped to secure a great victory. Today Welsh people around the world wear leeks on St David's Day. It is also a surviving tradition that soldiers in the Welsh regiments eat a raw leek on St David's Day.

The Daffodil

The Welsh for leek (the original national emblem) is Cenhinen, while the Welsh for daffodil is Cenhinen Pedr. Over the years they became confused until the daffodil was adopted as a second emblem of Wales.

The Welsh Flag

Our national flag - The Red Dragon (or in Welsh Y Ddraig Goch) - was granted official status in 1959, but the dragon itself has been associated with Wales for centuries. Some say it’s the oldest national flag still in use, and that it was used by King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders.

The Harp

The harp is regarded as the national instrument of Wales. By the end of the 18th century, the triple harp - so called because it had three rows of strings - was widely known as the Welsh harp on account of its popularity in Wales. The harp has been used through the ages as an accompaniment to folk-singing and dancing and as a solo instrument. HRH Prince Charles appoints a Welsh Royal Harpist on a scholarship programme annually. Past Royal harpists include Catrin Finch.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14