Wales - The Lucky Somersaults

In olden times Ygroglith (Good Friday) was dedicated to honoring Christ. Welcoming the sun on the mountain top brought even better luck if you flipped some somersaults.

On Good Friday, "Y Groglith," in olden times in Wales, it is said that business of every kind were totally suspended on this day, with no horses or carts (and very few people) to be seen on the streets at any hour. People also walked barefoot to church, so as not to "disturb the earth" (the sacred burial ground of Christ). Also, the custom was long held of "making Christ's bed." A quantity of long reeds was gathered from the riverbank and woven by children into the shape of a human figure. The woven "Christ" was then laid on a wooden cross and left in a quiet part of a field or pasture to rest in peace.

In Llangollen, in the "Vale of Clwyd", villagers used to greet the arrival of the sun's rays on the top of "Dinas Bran" (a location famous for its inclusion in many medieval Welsh folk tales) by doing three somersaults.

Now days, a pilgrimage to the top of the mountain is sufficient, and on Llun y Pasg (Easter Monday) in many parts of the country, the celebrations for the day begin before sunrise with a procession to the top of the nearby mountain. Crowds of people climb up to the highest point in the area to watch the sun "dance" as it rises through the clouds in honor of the resurrection of Christ.

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