Vale of Clwyd, Wales

Apple rhymes and old times. Hen Galan

Most people wrap up their New Year plans by the first week of January. Wales, however, has a charming habit of saying, 'Hold on—we've got one more celebration left.' Enter Hen Galan, the 'Old New Year,' observed on 13 January in parts of Wales, most famously in the Gwaun Valley. The date survives from the old Julian calendar, kept long after the rest of Britain adopted the Gregorian one.

Alongside Hen Galan is Calennig, a tradition rooted in the Welsh word for 'New Year's gift.' Children lead the festivities with decorated apples—fruit studded with cloves, topped with holly and balanced on three wooden legs. They carry the apples from house to house, reciting cheerful rhymes in exchange for coins or treats. In the past, kids would also carry jugs of water to splash on people's hands and faces or sprinkle around the house for luck.

Today, Calennig is less widespread than it once was, but the practice hasn't vanished. Schools still teach the old verses for Hen Galan and local groups keep the customs alive. And if you ever want to see a place with apple-growing heritage, visit the Vale of Clwyd, featured in today's image.