Mari Lwyd – December 25, 2026

History of Mari Lwyd

The earliest account of the Mari Lwyd festival dates from 1798, and the tradition became popular in South Wales in the 19th century. The Mari Lwyd is typically made up of a horse’s skull, decorated with colored ribbons and fixed to the end of a wooden pole. Its eye sockets are often filled with green bottle-ends or colored material. White sheets are usually fastened to the base of the skull to conceal the pole and the person carrying the Mari, and the lower jaw is sometimes spring-loaded so that this person can snap it at passers-by.

The celebration itself would begin at dusk and often lasted late into the night. During it, the skull is carried through the streets of the village by a party known as the merry men, who stand in front of every house and sing traditional songs. The singing sometimes consists of an improvised rhyme and verse contest between the Mari party and the inhabitants of the house, explaining why they need to enter and gain access to the house if the occupant is unable to counter their reason in song.

The tradition began to decline in the 20th century partly due to the decrease in the number of Welsh Speakers, and also due to the increasing rowdiness and drunkenness which became associated with it – an unacceptable behavior, especially with the rise of the Chapel and Methodism in Wales. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in the groups performing across Wales.