Talk:Gathering Day

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"Gathering Day"[edit]

The main section of the article, dealing with Welsh harvest customs, is well-researched and factually correct, as far as I can see. However, the article is entitled "Gathering Day", not "Welsh harvest customs". The main text makes no mention of this "Gathering Day" at all. No Welsh term for it is given (it certainly would not be called Gathering Day by the Welsh and the nearest terms that come to mind, Cynhaeaf and Medi, refer to the period of harvesting and would not, in any case, translate as "Gathering Day"). No sources for the name are given. The material about the various harvest customs - which would not of course pertain to a single day, whatever its supposed name - is familiar enough, but I have never heard of "Gathering Day" and can not think of any Welsh-language term that matches. This "gathering on hilltops or beside lakes" just does not sound right at all and has all the hallmarks of 19th century romanticism. Unless reliable sources are found, including the original Welsh term, I propose moving this to 'Welsh harvest customs'. (Footnote: If Marie Trevelyan is the source, as I am inclined to suspect, that is not reliable unless backed up with solid independent references: the good lady added a great deal of Celtic mist to her version of Welsh folklore and custom.). Enaidmawr (talk) 00:05, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The only web references I can find are either to this article and its mirrors or to neo-pagan sites - such as this - which claim this was the Welsh name for the Summer Solstice (which is utter bulls**t!). So what's the source and what is the original Welsh name supposed to be (the neo-pagan lot don't give a Welsh name either, for what it's worth)? Enaidmawr (talk) 01:28, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This article still lacks specific references. In particular, the article name and the lede definition - "Gathering Day (or Calan Awst) is a Welsh holiday associated with the harvest, involving gathering on hilltops or beside lakes at the beginning of August (Awst)." - is unsourced. Trefor M. Owen, whose works have been added to the Refs section, makes no allusion to this so-called "Gathering Day" in his authorative volume Welsh Folk Customs. For the Welsh term 'Calan Awst', Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru gives the English-language definition "1st of August; Lammas-day". The customs described are harvest customs and not therefore confined to Calan Awst alone. This either needs a thorough rewrite and renaming to 'Calan Awst' or moving to 'Welsh harvest customs'. This is why I've tagged it as having multiple issues. Enaidmawr (talk) 00:29, 30 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The main section was certainly well researched, but was copyvio. Calan Awst was a redirect to here; I've pointed it instead to Lammas. There's now a source for Midsummers Day, so I've stubbed this using that source. --Stfg (talk) 13:12, 7 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]