Whilst you may enjoy a cwtch with a friend or family member, a cwtch from your cariad (love/sweetheart) is pretty hard to beat.
We take every opportunity to enjoy the little things, like a cwtch at home, but there are some occasions where it’s okay to enjoy the celebrations, and love is certainly in the air.
The most obvious day for couples is St Valentine’s Day (14 February), however we’re keen on the day that celebrates the Welsh patron saint of lovers, St Dwynwen’s Day, ‘Dydd Santes Dwynwen’ in Welsh. This falls just a couple of weeks before St Valentines Day on 25 January each year. This also happens to be Burn’s night, which for Big Cwtch living in Scotland, is also a big deal. A typical celebration for Big Cwtch is to celebrate with heart shaped shortbread and maybe a wee dram of whisky- Penderyn of course to celebrate both cultures!
St Dwynwen’s Day is becoming a more popular event and the number of couples celebrating this romantic day grows each year. It’s so lovely to have another reason to celebrate love at the end of January and ahead of the more popular Valentine’s celebrations. It’s easier, and perhaps cheaper, to get that weekend away, the booking at a nice restaurant or to secure your flowers.
Being a uniquely Welsh celebration (we love that!) you may want to celebrate in a traditional Welsh way. We’d suggest:
- Sending a Welsh language card
- Learning how to say “I love you” in Welsh if you don’t know already.
- Carve or commission a traditional love spoon
- A simple bunch of daffodils
- Enjoy some Welsh food and treats together – welshcakes and a Welsh whisky or gin are a favourite.
- Visit a castle.
- A cwtch by a fire
It’s not all about grand romantic gestures though, for both St Dwynwen and St Valentine’s Day try to enjoy the little things and appreciate your love. By focussing on these little things you can try and do this more frequently and add a little cwtch into everyday.
For us the small romantic gestures mean so much and can include:
- Make a mental note of things your partner enjoys and surprise them by doing or arranging one of them.
- Sending a text during the day to let them know you’re thinking of them.
- Cooking or arranging dinner especially if it’s not something you usually do.
- Spend time talking about your favourite memories together and future plans.
- Make a plan to stay in for cwtch time – sofa, movie and a glass of wine with no interruptions.
- Doing a chore that they would usually do.
- Get a favourite picture printed and put it in a place you’ll see every day.
- Celebrate a small win or accomplishment
- Grab a blanket and go star gazing – So many amazing spots in Wales- we love the Brecon Beacons.
Ways to Cwtch 