Mouth of the Ystwyth Issue 11 (Christmas)

December 2025

Issue. 11

Mouth of the the of

Ystwyth

Our Winter and Christmastime Edition

Contents Page: Welcome to MOTY!

2

A Note From the Committee

2

A Short History of Christmas

3

10 Winter Movies to get you in the Festive Spirit 5 We Need to Break Up (With Our Phones)

7

A Village to Visit in North Wales - Portmeiron

9

Hope is a Homeless Snow

11

A Formal Introduction to Aber’s Study Spots

13

Page no. 1

Meet The Mouths of the Ystwyth: Welcome to MOTY! We are Aberystwyth’s Student Newspaper, reporting on anything student or Aberystwyth related – it can be art, photos, poems, short stories, comic strips, articles, reviews. If you have something you’d like to publish that is not listed above, feel free to message our Instagram or email our mailbox.

A Note from our Commitee Merry Christmas and a happy new year!!

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A SHORT HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

By Ealish Royle

The middle of winter has been a time of festivities for all of history, and how could it not be? Take a look outside at the weather right now, (it's grey, rainy and cold, right?) and it's easy to understand why people have always needed a reason to drink, eat too much food, and be merry at this time of year. In the past, there was Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia (if you're a Roman), and other festivities to commemorate the winter season. As the year comes to a close, I need a drink, and for centuries Christmas has provided the perfect excuse for exactly that. But Christmas wasn't always about Father Christmas, alcohol and John Lewis adverts - it actually originated as a religious holiday, which you might not guess in 2025.

Earliest records of the celebration of Jesus' birth start at the 2nd century, but the exact date of Christmas Day was heavily debated because nobody at the time of His birth remembered to jot it down, creating a lot of confusion for scholars down the line. Around the mid-fourth century, the Christian belief was that the world was created on the 25th of March. This was also the day Jesus was crucified, and the day the Virgin Mary immaculately conceived Jesus, so if your birthday is also on the 25th of March, you might be the chosen one. The 25th of December is nine months after Jesus' conception, so although it is still heavily debated amongst scholars, it's deemed to be a likely date for Jesus' birthday. Around this time, in the Early Middle Ages (5th - 10th century), Christmas Day itself was overshadowed by other Christmas-related holidays, and was not deemed the most important as it is today.

By the High Middle Ages (11th 14th century), Christmas Day was gaining prominence. Celebrations started in the afternoon of Christmas Eve and continued for the next twelve days, and many other Saints were also commemorated during this time.

Christmas Day was marked by three masses, but it wasn't all boring. Workers

Page no. 3

would have had at least twelve days off to celebrate and prepare for advent, though instead of Christmas shopping, festive preparations may have looked more like slaughtering and salting animals for a feast, or making sure you've done all your chores around the farm. For Christmas feasts of the upper class, a Lord of Misrule (known in Scotland as the Abbot of Unreason), who was usually a peasant, would be appointed to make sure everyone was partying hard enough.

The Lord would make sure that excessive drinking, gambling and promiscuity were a notable part of Christmas festivities, which begs the question - did people in medieval times have more fun than us at Christmas? Unfortunately, this tradition was outlawed in the 17th century.

Caroling also first emerged in the Middle Ages, and was condemned for being lewd by writers at the time.

In the 17th century, Charles I was defeated in the English Civil War, and England's new Puritan Parliament banned Christmas completely in 1647.

The holiday was deemed too unruly, so much so that Oliver Cromwell even ordered his troops to confiscate special meals made on Christmas Day. In protest, riots broke out in several cities for several weeks. The rioters continued the tradition of Christmas mischief with very violent acts of protest, like playing football, caroling and decorating doorways with holly. The ban was reversed thirteen years later in 1660 when Charles II came into power, and not only reversed the ban, but made all Puritan legislation void. Christmas was saved, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Although some Christmas traditions can be traced back centuries, it was only in the Victorian era that Christmas really started to become the central Christian holiday, although its recognition was slow - the festive spirit as we know it today really took shape when Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1842. From his novel, we get the phrase "Merry Christmas", and more emphasis on the

humanitarian element of Christmas that encourages giving to the poor. Christmas trees were introduced into Britain by Queen Charlotte in the early 19th century, but were popularised by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the 1840s.

She and her first cousin/husband Prince Albert posed for an illustration with their Christmas tree, adorned with ornaments, lights and presents for a London newspaper. That illustration changed Christmas tradition in Britain forever, as the tree instantly became a staple for every home during the festive season.

Newer traditions are grounded in festive fun more than anything else. Elf on the Shelf, for example, only started becoming commonplace in British supermarkets in the last five or ten years after being imported from America just because...

They're fun and silly, really. Despite a sharp decline in religious beliefs in recent years, Christmas holds strong as most people's favourite holiday, and is still evolving every year whilst holding on to its earliest traditions - even preChristian ones. The cosy feeling of eating a big feast with your loved ones in winter has been a human tradition for millennia, and every Christmas song is an extension of the carols sung by medieval peasants a thousand years ago. In fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand years time, who knows how we'll celebrate Christmas?

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Winter Movies to get you in the Festive Spirit !

Harriet Stoneman

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As we suddenly find ourselves firmly in the cold grasp of December, the concept of cosying up on an armchair and watching a movie in the evening has started to become just that much more appealing. For many people, movies like these are quintessential to the winter experience; in my household especially, some of these films aren’t just casual watches - they’re tradition. Bill Murray usually makes an appearance at the very start of December in Scrooged, and Macaulay Culkin always rounds off our Christmas Eve celebrations with Home Alone.

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This is a small collection of some of the best (i.e. my personal favourite) Christmas or otherwise winter-themed films that have made it onto my watchlist this year, plus a few recommendations from friends and family. On the whole, this is a list of heartwarming and wholesome cinematic experiences - although a couple of the suggestions admittedly contain the odd murder investigation, so be warned if you decide to pick one at random. Right, grab yourself a hot chocolate with extra extra marshmallows, kick back, and watch away!

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we need to break up.

by Tee Spiers Dramatic as it sounds, your phone is quite literally drugging you. Every time you doom scroll, watching dozens of 20 second videos in quick succession, your orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) - the part of your brain involved in emotional regulation and decision-making - is activated. The science shows that an avid TikTok user’s OFC is significantly more sensitive to the stimuli of short form content. This change is a cycle; as your attention span decreases and your ability to comprehend more information at an intense rate increases, you find the only engaging content is shortform. In this way, screen addiction functions like a drug addiction. It’s not just mental. In 2007, a former Microsoft executive, Linda Stone, began studying what she called ‘screen apnoea’. In her study, she monitored the breathing patterns of her participants as they were hunched over a screen, and found that 80% of them had started breathing more shallow and more frequently. Maybe you’re even holding your breath right now. Holding your breath, or shallow breathing, is interpreted by the brain as the physical sign of stress and anticipation. When you scroll endlessly, that feeling of anticipation never really goes away because there’s never a fulfilling conclusion.

Doomscrolling is inherently not relaxing. Constant screen usage conditions your brain and your body to keep scrolling. In this attention economy, your time is currency currency that algorithms trick you into spending almost entirely on your phone.

─

The wonderful thing, however, is the adaptability and trainability of the human body. Your phone has trained you into co-dependency, but you can certainly take back control. I’ve done it myself (a few times, actually). When you’re in a relationship that simply doesn’t benefit you anymore, there’s only one healthy option. I know it’s hard, but I think we should breakup with our phones.

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a guide to breaking up with your phone Step 1: Acknowledgement For this to work, you must acknowledge that you are addicted. It’s ok, we literally all are.

Acknowledge that you must change, and that you want to change. Breaking habits that are so deeply entrenched in your life requires discipline and takes time.

Step 2: Get some distance When the first thing you do in the morning is check Instagram, you immediately indulge your addiction before your brain has even woken up. You two need some time apart. When you’re addicted, this is one of the hardest parts. You get so used to a constant barrage of noise and information that silence feels unnatural. Try to go to the shop without your phone, or go for a walk in nature. Embrace the silence. When you get comfortable with being by yourself again, your cravings for endless, brain-rotting stimulation will lessen.

Step 3: Move out From someone that did this themselves, this bit sucks the most. Delete, delete, delete. This took me a while but if you want to do it earlier, you can. There’s TikTok (deleting this one broke my heart), Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads... You get to pick one. Delete the rest. You can’t just remove social media from your life when so much of modern life is online, so pick what you use the most and just be addicted to one. It’s sort of like harm reduction.

Step 4: Find someone (or something) new You are in a codependent relationship, and the best way to tackle co-dependency is to disentangle. What does your phone give you, and why are you reliant? Start by making your phone less useful. You wake up in the morning to your alarm and immediately go on your phone? Get an alarm clock. You need your phone with you for your step count? Time to get a Fitbit. You’re always listen to music? Get yourself an iPod. You need background noise? Long form video essays on YouTube are your new best friend.

Step 5 Separate You can’t have a successful break up unless you set your boundaries and get some space.

Remember what your phone is: a phone. We’re going to treat it like a landline. Move it out from under your pillow, or from your bedside table, and give it a new home. Much like the family landline, its new home is a place where it nearly always stays, and will be the only place where you use it. By moving it away from your bed, you detach it from the space where you relax. Let’s be honest, doomscrolling isn’t exactly relaxing.

It sounds dramatic to call this addiction, but your brain is quite literally dependent on the constant mental stimulation. You will probably get withdrawals from social media. Your phone habits are solidified in your life, and it can feel impossible to break them. But it is. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel it’s taking too long, or if you fall back into bad habits. Small, consistent change is nearly always more effective than cold turkey. You’re doing this for your future self.

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A Village to Visit in North Wales -

Portmeiron Page no. 9

North Wales is more than sheep jokes.

Serving as the backdrop of The Prisoner (1967), Portmeirion is more than an Italian Welsh village.

I stayed at the Portimerion Hotel for one night. I will tell you the price at the end.

Portmeirion was built by Clough Williams-Ellis. Before being transformed into a fourstar hotel on the estuary, Aber Lâ was home to a foundry, small shipyard, and a few cottages. Many say Portmeirion looks Italian, but to me it looks more like Lewis Carroll’s real-life Wonderland.

Salutation Wood covers a third of the village. The mild climate of the peninsula allows luxuriant growth of plant species from around the globe.

Buildings and the Wood sit close together in Portmeirion. Four hours is enough to wander through it all.

The Portmeirion Hotel is modest outside, grand inside. The hotel overlooks the sandy beaches of the Dwyryd Estuary in Snowdonia. Its overall Victorian architecture, with graceful curvilinear design at ground level, adds to its sense of warmth and welcome.

Inside, by the fireplace, several Victorian accent chairs create a cozy space for chess and chats over drinks. Diagonally opposite the fireplace is a dark oak reading corner, softly lit. Dazzling arrays of artworks and ornate details fill the mirror room and the living room. Cozy grandeur, if that makes sense.

The hotel restaurant was fabulous. I had blackened miso cod with onion jam to start with and wild sea bass for my main course. The miso cod came in a light broth, topped with decorative foam. The earthy wilderness of the onion first encroached my palate, followed by the freshness of the Welsh sea. The sea bass paired beautifully with the bordelaise sauce. It was a delight to see a leaf of Swiss chard soaking up every drop on the side.

After finishing my apple soufflé, I was served tea and three delicate handmade chocolate truffles, each with a different molten centre.

Walking along the power blue flower wallpapered corridor with its carved baseboards, I returned to my single room after three hours of fine dining. The room was humbly Victorian. Cozy and grand at the same time.

The room commanded the estuary, where soft sunlight shimmering on the water cozily woke me up. 7:00. Ready for a full Welsh breakfast.

It cost £220 for one night with entry to Portmeirion, dinner, and breakfast included.

I didn’t expect fine dining could fill me up so completely. Portmeirion is relatively affordable and definitely worth a visit

By Louis So

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by Toby Cotton

Hope is a Homeless Snow Page no. 11

hope snow coats the street trees silences white noise speaks in bold black tongue hope snow snowball splashes red nose spreads tears of laughter and sorrow hope snow snowfort upholds a small dark subconscious clings to apricity hands out its warmth equitably hope snow snowman gifted a child’s scarf sighs for homed bones grins in missing stones sinks back down

Poet’s Commentary:

hope snow snowflakes clink fingers stick together and don’t break don’t break bright singular faces hope snow snowangels grace the grey road fan out resting prayers stand up and walk about hope snow snowdrifts sit beside lamposts hug the dark frozen stones spare more than their thoughts

Snow, in Wendell Berry’s small poem, ‘Like Snow’, does its work ‘quietly, quietly, / leaving nothing out.’ The same may be said of hope, bright, innate and accessible to all. Both hope and snow offer us a fresh start and can mean different things to people in different situations. For example, snow is wondrous fun for children with safe homes to return to, yet simultaneously a stark cold threat to homeless people. My poem is concerned most with the nature of hope in the context of this particular duplicity, often overlooked amidst the excitement and chaos that snow brings to our towns and cities.

About the poet: Toby Cotton (he/him) is currently pursuing an MA in creative writing. He makes poems to play, live and bridge human-nature, human-human and human-spirit chasms, including his own. His work appears in Pearl Press, Ink Sweat & Tears, Wildfire Words and Boundby and he helps to edit Aber-based literary magazine, GossamerWight.

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A Formal Introduction to Aber’s Study Spots

By Ameelia Sultan As a student at university, and I’m sure I speak for many here, it is important that I find the optimal place to study to achieve my full potential.

From a highly specialised collection of data (a Microsoft form I distributed to my friends), I have assessed the key attributes to a study space…

“Many people expressed alignment with having a moderately warm, large desk space (with no formal - ideally comfy - seating), under low to moderate lighting. Also background noise low, access to power outlets vital and food nearby! Cosy and private environments were largely preferred.”

Whether or not this form is reflective of the entire Aberystwyth student population, I cannot say. Still, there’s clearly an array of preference when it comes to study environments so this article will provide my limited take on the data obtained. Try out these spaces, find out what works for you and ace your exams this academic year! Or simply just read this article and then continue studying from your bed, denying the “nap” you’re about to take, safe in the knowledge that nothing compares to delving into study under a duvet. (I didn’t have time to collect data on comparing these to the comfort of everyone’s bed setup…)

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Hugh Owen Library - 4/5 First off and most popular - the one and only HO library. Now, as much as I have given this place 4 stars, I can often be found here perched over the pale white desks at ungodly hours of the night during exam season. There are sockets where I can keep my decrepit MacBook on charge for the entire night, as well as access to vending machines, toilets on every floor and enough space to study with a whole group of friends. HO isn’t a just a place to study, it’s a destination where people distract each other and complain about performative intellectuals in their tutorials, or hot gossip on their flatmates. There are quiet floors where you can, if so minded, get stuck into work, study rooms where you can gather your course mates together and “‘actually lock in this time, guys”’.

When it comes to options of seating, HO has all bases covered.

Like all things, HO does come with a few flaws. This includes the crazy levels of busyness during the exam period; I have been mentally prepared to fight for the first vacant seat on occasion. If people hog desks with mess, be prepared to shuffle them along. Yours? I didn’t move them. Just saw the empty seat.

With this, comes the inherent noise levels that, if I wasn’t already on track to late deafness (who needs noise cancelling headphones if God has given you the gift of partial self-inflicted hard of hearing), I certainly am now. Equally, even if there is one person speaking at profound volume, this can be enough to throw some off their flashcards. Despite the presence of library staffs, this rarely causes karen-ish compliance.

I briefly mentioned the advantages of having a vending machine within reach there is also a clear disadvantage here. I find myself Apple Pay-ing my way through multiple Twixes and hot chocolates that I don’t need, and yet here I am pinging my phone and telling myself it’s “just a pound”. Just be careful to leave a mess on your desk, else someone like me may move it somewhere.

My questionnaire showed strong affinity with Hugh Owen. People are clearly happy with the various options (including of noise levels) across each floor outside of exam season. The views of the beautiful Aberystwyth & its sea are appreciated by students. Hilariously, I had to include a quote from my poll: “It’s light and open and cutesy so I can study for the aesthetic - like romanticising uni or whatever… downside is that you will see everyone you’ve ever got with in uni, also crisps from the vending machine are £1.50.”

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Physical Sciences Library - 3/5 As if STEM students didn’t already have a superiority complex, there is potential for it to be further reinforced through their exclusive access to the Physical Sciences Library. This library is quiet and characterised with wooden panelling and an old book smell. Similar to Hugh Owen, there are monitors, computers, whiteboards and a grand view of the sea. Though perhaps not as many power outlets, shorter opening hours and oh dear - physics students. Then again you’re less likely to come across any walk-of-shamers.

Just as convenient as having Hugh Owen on campus, if you’re a maths student like myself, having the library ‘just upstairs’ is very helpful for those of a lazy disposition, along with books that are included in further reading lists and help desks that the department provides when I feel an impending crash out with a problem sheet.

The Workstation - 5/5 This was one that wasn’t given a shoutout on the poll, and so a caveat to my data driven analysis, but I recently discovered this on a drunken night out at the start of the year when about 6 people had the same idea to, at 1am, finally reregister for their course that they had already been taking for a year. I decided to soberly return when catching up on lectures for the week, on a random Saturday night, since it was only a mere 9 minute stroll from my flat.

Much to my surprise, the workstation is probably my personal favourite. Not only is it personally convenient, but it is unsurprisingly designed in the same fashion as are all other places belonging to the university. This meant that I had 24/7 (!!!) access to toilets, monitors, computers, printers and private study rooms.

I am unsure as to how busy this place gets, but I had it to myself when I returned. I actually managed to get a lot done. For me, the best thing about this place was the access to all the facilities close to home at any given time of the day without much distraction. This means if I do feel like I want to get on with some “actual” work late at night, or any time of the day for that matter, and I don’t necessarily want to trudge up the hill, then I have that option too.

There is definitely something about making a conscious decision to get up and go somewhere to do your work that makes me actually get things done. Try it and if you come across someone with 5 lattes in the wee hours, that’ll likely be me.

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Caffe Nero - 3/5 My study trip to Nero unfortunately happened to coincide with the halfterm holidays. After I managed to secure the only seat left - on one of the casual sofas - I came to the realisation that this would not be the place to do some last-minute notes for a tutorial but fine if you have the luxury of time. Perched in the corner, laptop slipping down one knee, children crying, parents scolding, it was fine otherwise. Despite this being one of my favourite places to chill in Aber, and contrary to what society claims about natural female maternal instincts, I decided at that current moment that this was my idea of study hell.

During the half-term holidays, and I suppose this accounts for weekends too, Nero is the place for debriefing over good coffee with the girls about last night’s drama, or perching on a sofa with a book or crossword and a (too) hot (to) drink. If you don’t own headphones and want to concentrate on something specific - good luck. Power outlets are within reach however, tap water and pitchers are a couple of paces away and staff are kind, not to mention it being one of the best coffee spots in Aber.

I find having one laptop screen isn’t enough to do my work. I need some paper or my iPad as a non-negotiable to get any productive work done, but that’s simply the nature of doing Maths and this might not be the same for others. This meant that many of the tables were a little small and I couldn’t fit everything.

Outside of holidays, Nero is definitely quieter, but much too distracting. I love the sound of coffee-shop background noise; clunking of mugs, steaming of machines, background chatter, as much as anyone; but this was too casual a setting to get any real productive work done.

Nero has everything you need to be able to get your work done, perfectly within reach and adhering to all the conditions people listed on my Microsoft poll. I can definitely see it being the perfect place to work for others! For my own circumstances, I didn’t feel this to be the case.

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Overview Physical Sciences Library - 3/5 The Workstation - 5/5 Caffe Nero - 3/5 There are many more study spots that Aber has to offer, so if this article does well I will be sure to give a part two to what now feels like professional opinion. All in all, I’d say if you’re a student struggling with the workload or focus that University life burdens us with, rest-assured that you certainly won’t struggle with romanticising the day-to-day ups and downs of academic life.

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Meet The Mouths of the Ystwyth: Welcome to MOTY! Papur Newydd y myfyrwyr Aberystwyth ydyn ni, yn adrodd ar bob peth myfyrwyr Aberystwyth a’r dref ei hun. Gallai adroddiadau’n dod mewn llawer o fathau: celf, lluniau, cerddi, strorïay byr, stribedi comig ac erthyglau ac adolygiadau!

A Note from our Commitee Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

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HANES Y NADOLIG

By Ealish Royle

Mae canol gaeaf wedi bod yn adeg lawn dathlu drwy gydol hanes, a pham lai? Edrychwch du allan ar y tywydd nawr, (mae’n llwyd, gwlyb ac oer, tydi?) ac mae’n hawdd deall pam bod pobl o hyd wedi angen rheswm i yfed, bwyta gormod, a bod yn hapus eu byd adeg yma o’r flwyddyn. Yn y gorffennol, roedd Nadolig, heuldro’r gaeaf, satwrnalia (i’r Rhufeinwyr), a dathliadau eraill i groesawi dymor y gaeaf. Fel mae’r flwyddyn yn dod i ben, dwi angen diod, ac ers canrifoedd, mae’r Nadolig wedi rhoi esgus perffaith am hynna.

Ond doedd y Nadolig ddim o hyd amdan Sïon Corn, alcohol a hysbysebion John Lewis – crefydd yw tarddiad yr ŵyl,, rhywbeth efallai na fyddwch chi’n dyfalu yn 2025. Mae cofnodion cynharaf o ddathlu geni’r Iesu yn dechrau yn yr ail ganrif, ond mae trafodaeth ddwys am union ddyddiad diwrnod Nadolig gan nad oes neb wedi nodi yn union ei ddyddiad geni, sydd wedi creu llawer o ddryswch ymysg ysgolheigion. O gwmpas canol y bedwaredd ganrif, credai Cristnogion bod y byd wedi’i greu ar y pumed ar hugain o Fawrth.

Dyma’r diwrnod hefyd y croeshoeliwyd Iesu, a’r diwrnod y gwnaeth Mair feichiogi hefyd. Mae’r 25ain o Ragfyr naw mis ar ôl y cenhedlu, felly er bod dadl ymysg ysgolheigion, mae’n debyg ei fod yn ddigon agos at ddyddiad geni’r Iesu. O gwmpas y cyfnod yma yn yr oesoedd canol cynnar, roedd diwrnod Nadolig ei hun yn llai pwysig na’r gwyliau eraill o gwmpas y cyfnod yma, doedd e ddim mor bwysig ag y mae’n cael ei ystyried heddiw. Erbyn anterth yr Oesoedd Canol (11eg – 14eg ganrif), roedd diwrnod Nadolig yn dod yn fwy amlwg. Dechreuwyd dathlu ar brynhawn noswyl y Nadolig, a chario ‘mlaen am y deuddeg diwrnod canlynol, ac roedd llawer o Seintiau hefyd yn cael eu dathlu yn ystod yr adeg yma. Roedd tair offeren i nodi'r Nadolig, ond doedd e ddim i gyd yn ddiflas.

Bysai gweithwyr wedi cael o leiaf deuddeg diwrnod i ffwrdd er mwyn dathlu a pharatoi at yr Adfent, ond yn lle siopa Nadolig, paratoadau’r ŵyl oedd lladd a halltu anifeiliaid ar gyfer gwledda, neu wneud yn siŵr eich bod wedi cwblhau tasgau ar y fferm.

Ar gyfer dathliadau'r uchelwyr, roedd “Lord of Misrule” ( yr “Abbot of Unreason” yn yr Alban), a oedd fel arfer yn werinwr, yn cael ei ddewis i ‘neud yn siŵr bod pawb yn dathlu digon.

Roedd yr arglwydd yn neud yn siŵr bod gor-yfed, gamblo, noethni a rhyw yn rhan nodweddiadol o ddathliadau’r Nadolig. Felly, a oedd pobl o’r oesoedd canol lyn cael mwy o hwyl amser y Nadolig

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na ni? Yn anffodus, cafodd y traddodiad yma ei wahardd yn yr 17eg ganrif. Ymddangosodd canu carolau am y tro cyntaf yn yr oesoedd canol, a chafodd ei wahardd am fod yn anllad gan awduron yr adeg.

Yn yr 17eg ganrif, gorchfygwyd Siarl 1af yn ystod y rhyfel cartref, a chafodd Nadolig ei wahardd gan y senedd Biwritanaidd ym 1647.

Roeddent yn credu bod yr ŵyl yn rhy wyllt – ac oherwydd hynny, gorchmynnodd Oliver Cromwell ei filwyr i gymryd prydau Nadolig i ffwrdd. Arweiniodd hyn at brotestio a therfysg mewn sawl dinas, am sawl wythnos. Roedd y gwrthdystio yn cynnwys direidi Nadoligaidd fel chwarae pêl-droed, canu carolau ac addurno drysau hefo celyn. 13 blynedd yn ddiweddarach, cafodd y gwaharddiad ei wyrdroi pan ddaeth Siarl 2il i rym, a dileu holl gyfreithiau Piwritanaidd.

Achubwyd y Nadolig, roedd pawb yn hapus eto.

Er bod rhai traddodiadau Nadoligaidd yn mynd yn ôl canrifoedd, dim ond yng nghyfnod Victoria y daeth Nadolig i fod yr ŵyl Gristnogol bwysicaf, er roedd ei chydnabyddiaeth yn araf – dim ond pan gyhoeddodd Dickens “A Christmas Carol” yn 1842 y daeth y Nadolig i fod yn debycach i beth ‘da’n ni’n nabod heddiw. O’i nofel y daeth y frawddeg “Merry Christmas” a mwy o bwyslais ar yr elfen ddyngarol Nadoligaidd sy’n ein hannog i roi i’r tlawd. Daeth coed Nadolig i Brydain dan ddylanwad y frenhines Charlotte yn gynnar yn y 19eg ganrif, ond daeth yn fwy poblogaidd o dan y frenhines Victoria yn y 1840au. Fe beintiwyd llun ohoni hi a’i chefnder/gwr y tywysog Albert ar gyfer papur newydd o Lundain gyda’i choeden Nadolig wedi’i addurno gyda goleuadau, addurniadau ac anrhegion. Newidiodd y llun hwnna draddodiadau Nadolig ym Mhrydain am byth. Daeth y goeden Nadolig i fod ym mhob cartref yn ystod yr ŵyl.

Mae traddodiadau mwy newydd yn deillio o fod eisiau hwyl fwy na dim. Er enghraifft, “Elf on the Shelf” ddaeth yn boblogaidd mewn archfarchnadoedd Prydeinig yn y pump i ddeng mlynedd ddiwethaf ar ôl iddynt gael ei fewnforio fel traddodiad o’r Unol Daleithiau, a hynny dim ond achos ei bod nhw’n hwyl ac yn wirion mewn gwirionedd. Er bod credoau crefyddol yn ddiweddar wedi lleihau, mae Nadolig yn dal i fod yn ŵyl gref a’r ŵyl fwyaf poblogaidd ymysg pobl. Mae’n dal i esblygu bob blwyddyn er ei fod yn adleisio rhai o’r traddodiadau cynnar, hyd yn oed y rhai cyn Gristnogol. Mae’r teimlad o agosatrwydd o wledda gyda theulu yn y gaeaf wedi bod yn draddodiad ymysg pobl ers miloedd o flynyddoedd, ac mae pob cân Nadolig yn estyniad o’r carolau oedd yn cael eu canu yn y canol oesoedd fil o flynyddoedd yn ôl gan werinwyr. Mewn pumdeg, cant, neu fil o flynyddoedd, pwy a ŵyr sut y byddwn ni’n dathlu’r Nadolig?

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Fflim gaeaf I rhoi chi mewn I’r ysbryd nadoligaidd!

Harriet Stoneman

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Wrth i ni darganfod ei hunain mewn ngedlr oer Rhagfyr, mae’r cysysniad o dod yn cyffurddus mewn cadar meddal a gwylio ffilm yn nosweith wedi dod yn mwy mwy deniadol. I llawer o bobl, mae ffilmiau fel rhain yn rhan allweddol o’r brofiad gaeaf; mae hyn yn hollol wir yn fy nhy i, mae rhai o’r ffilmiau yn traddodiadol. Fel arfer, mae Bill Murray yn ymddangos ar ddechrau mis Rhagfyr yn Scrooged, ac mae Macaulay Culkin bob amser yn gorffen ein dathliadau Noswyl Nadolig gyda Home Alone.

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Dyma gasgliad bach o rai o'r ffilmiau Nadolig neu ffilmiau gaeaf gorau (h.y. fy ffefryn personol i) sydd wedi cyrraedd fy rhestr wylio eleni, ynghyd ag ychydig o argymhellion gan ffrindiau a theulu. Ar y cyfan, mae hon yn rhestr o brofiadau sinematig cynnes a llesol - er bod cwpl o'r awgrymiadau yn cynnwys yr ymchwiliad llofruddiaeth od, felly byddwch yn ofalus os penderfynwch ddewis un ar hap. Iawn, ewch i gael siocled poeth gyda malws melys ychwanegol, ymlaciwch, a gwyliwch!

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rwy’n credo dyle ni torri lan.

by Tee Spiers Mor hyrt a mae’n swnio, mae eich ffon yn llythrennol yn dy gyffurio. Pob tro rydych yn doomscrolo, yn gwylio llawer o fideos 20 eiliad o hyd mewn amser byr, mae eich cortecs orbitofrontal (OFC) - y rhan o'ch ymennydd sy'n ymwneud â rheoleiddio emosiynol a gwneud penderfyniadau - yn cael ei actifadu. Mae'r wyddoniaeth yn dangos bod OFC defnyddiwr TikTok brwd yn llawer mwy sensitif i ysgogiadau cynnwys ffurf fer. Mae’r newid hyn yn cylch; tra bod eich awydd i ffocusi yn lleihau ag eich allu i ddeall mwy o wybodaeth at cyfradd anferthol yn tyfu, rydych yn darganfod bod yr unig cynnwys sy’n deniadol ydy cynnwys fer. Yn y modd hwn, mae caethiwed i sgrin yn gweithredu fel caethiwed i gyffuriau. Nid yw'n feddyliol yn unig. Yn 2007, dechreuodd cyn-weithredwr Microsoft, Linda Stone, astudio'r hyn a alwodd hi'n 'apnoea sgrin'. Yn ei hastudiaeth, monitrodd batrymau anadlu ei chyfranogwyr wrth iddynt blygu dros sgrin, a chanfod bod 80% ohonynt wedi dechrau anadlu'n fwy bas ac yn amlach. Efallai eich bod chi hyd yn oed yn dal eich gwynt ar hyn o bryd. Mae dal eich gwynt, neu anadlu bas, yn cael ei ddehongli gan yr ymennydd fel yr arwydd corfforol o straen a disgwyliad. Pan fyddwch chi'n sgrolio'n ddiddiwedd, nid yw'r teimlad hwnnw o ddisgwyliad byth yn diflannu mewn gwirionedd oherwydd nid oes byth gasgliad boddhaol. Nid yw sgrolio'r farn yn ymlaciol yn ei hanfod. Mae defnydd cyson o'r sgrin yn cyflyru'ch ymennydd a'ch corff i barhau i sgrolio. Yn yr economi sylw hon, eich amser yw arian cyfred arian cyfred y mae algorithmau yn eich twyllo i'w wario bron yn gyfan gwbl ar eich ffôn.

─

Y peth rhyfeddol, fodd bynnag, yw addasrwydd a hyffordadwyedd y corff dynol. Mae eich ffôn wedi eich hyfforddi i gyd-ddibyniaeth, ond gallwch chi gymryd rheolaeth yn ôl yn sicr. Rydw i wedi'i wneud fy hun (ychydig o weithiau, mewn gwirionedd). Pan fyddwch chi mewn perthynas nad yw'n eich helpu chi mwyach, dim ond un opsiwn iach sydd. Rwy'n gwybod ei bod hi'n anodd, ond rwy'n credu y dylem ni torri lan efo’n ffonau.

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canllaw i orffen eich perthynas cyddibynnol efo tech Cam 1: adnabyddiaeth Am hyn i weithio, mae rhaid i chi adnabod dy fod yn gaeth. Mae o’n iawn, rydyn ni i gyd yn.

Adnabod bod rhaid i chi newid, a rydych chi eisiau newid. Mae torri arferion sydd wedi hen wreiddio yn eich bywyd yn gofyn am ddisgyblaeth ac yn cymryd amser.

Cam 2: cael pellter Pryd mae’r peth cynraf rydych yn gwneud yn y bore ydy gwirio instagram rydych yn rhoi mewn i’ch caethiwed cyn bo’ch ymennydd wedi deffro. Mae’r ddau o chi angen tamed o amser oddi wrth eich gylidd. Pan rydych yn gaeth dyma un o’r rhannau mwayf annodd.

Rydych yn dod i’r arfer o’r swn a’r wybodaeth di dor, mae tawelch yn anghyffyrddus. Cesiwich mynd i’r siop hebddoch ffon neu cer am dro yn natur. Croesawu’r tawelch, pryd byddech yn cyffyrddus efo’ch hun eto bydd eich angen am ysgogiad pydrug yn lleihau.

Cam 3: Symud allan O rhywun a wnath hyn ei hunan, nid yw’r rhan hyn yn hwylus. Dileu, dileu, dileu. Cymerodd y rhan yma amser i mi ond os ydych eisiau gwneud o’n cynhara, gallech. Mae yn tiktok ( dileu hyn yn dorgalonus), instagram, X, Facebook, Threads... Mae hawl i chi pigo un. Dileu’r lleill. Na allech chi dileu cyfryngau cymdeithasaol o’ch bywyd pryd mae shwt gymaint o fywyd modern ar lein, felly dewisiwch pu’n chi’n defnyddio’r mwyaf a ‘mond bod yn gaeth i un. Mae o bach fel leihad niwed.

Cam 4: Darganfod rhywun (Neu rhywbeth) newyd Rydych chi mewn perthynas gyd-ddibynnol, a'r ffordd orau o fynd i'r afael â chydddibyniaeth yw datgysylltu. Beth mae eich ffôn yn ei roi i chi, a pham rydych chi'n ddibynnol? Dechreuwch trwy wneud eich ffôn yn llai defnyddiol. Rydych chi'n deffro yn y bore i'ch larwm ac yn mynd ar eich ffôn ar unwaith? Cael cloc larwm. Mae angen eich ffôn gyda chi ar gyfer cyfrif eich camau? Amser cael Fitbit. Rydych chi bob amser yn gwrando ar gerddoriaeth? Cael iPod i chi'ch hun. Mae angen sŵn cefndir arnoch chi? Traethodau fideo hir ar YouTube yw eich ffrind gorau newydd.

Cam 5: Gwahanu Dych chi methu cael torriad oni bai chi’n gosod ffiniau a cael pellter. Cofiwch bo eich ffon yw eich ffon. Rydyn ni mynd i trin o fel ‘landline’. Symud o allan o tu dan eich clustog, neu o’r bord a’r bwys y gwely, a rhoi cartref newydd i fo. Yn union fel u landline tueluol, mae ei gartref newydd yn rhywle mae’n aros am rhanfwyaf o’r amser a’r unig lle ble byddech yn ei ddefnyddio. Gan symud o wrth eich gwely rydych yn dadgysylltu fo o rhywle rydych yn ymlacio, wir nid yw doomscrolo yn ymlaciol iawn.

Mae’n swnio hollol hyrt i alw hyn yn gaethiwed, ond mae eich ymennydd yn ddybynnu a’r y ysgogiad meddwl di dor. Byddech chi yn debygol yn gweld eisiau cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Mae eich arferion ffon yn rhan o’ch bywyd, ac mae’n teimlo’n amhosib i’w dorri. Ond mae yn. Paid bod yn gas i’ch hunan os chi’n teimlo bod o’n cymryd rhy hir, neu o’s ydych yn cwympo nol i arferion hen. Mae nweid bach a cyson wastad mwy eiffeithiol na cold turkey. Rydych yn gweud hyn i’ch hunan yn y dyfodol.

Cymraeg

Pentref I ymweld ag yng Ngogledd Cymru

Portmeiron Cymraeg

Mae gogledd Cymru yn fwy na joces defaid.

Yn chwarae rol fel cefnlun o The Prisoner (1967), mae Portmeirion yn fwy na pentref Cymraeg Eidaleg.

Adeiladwyd Portmeirion gan Clough Williams-Ellis.Cyn cael ei drawsnewid mewn i westy l 4 seren ar yr aber, mi oedd Aber Lâ yn gartref i ffowndri, iard longau fach, ac ychydig o fythynnod. Mae llawer yn dweud bod Portmeirion yn edrych yn Eidalaidd, ond i mi mae'n edrych yn debycach i Wlad Hud Lewis Carroll go iawn.

Mae Coed Salutation yn gorchuddio traean o'r pentref. Mae hinsawdd fwyn y penrhyn yn caniatáu twf toreithiog rhywogaethau planhigion o bob cornel y byd.

Mae adeiladau a’r coedwig yn eistedd yn agos ym Mhortmeirion. Mae pedwar awr yn digonedd i gerdded trwyddo fo i gyd.

Arosais at westy Portmeirion am un nos.

Mae Gwesty Portmeirion yn gymedrol ar y tu allan ac yn fawreddog ar y tu mewn.

Mae’r gwesty yn rhoi drosolwg o’r treathu tywodlud o’r aber Dwyryd yn yr eryri. Mae ei bensaernïaeth Fictoraidd gyffredinol, gyda dyluniad cromlinol cain ar lefel y ddaear, yn ychwanegu at ei ymdeimlad o gynhesrwydd a chroeso. Y tu mewn, wrth y lle tân, mae sawl cadair efo acen Fictoraidd yn creu lle clyd ar gyfer gwyddbwyll a sgwrsio dros ddiodydd. Yn groeslinol gyferbyn â'r lle tân mae cornel ddarllen derw tywyll, wedi'i goleuo'n feddal. Mae araeau disglair o weithiau celf a manylion addurnedig yn llenwi'r ystafell ddrych a'r ystafell fyw. Mawredd clyd, os yw hynny'n gwneud synnwyr.

Roedd y bwyty yn y gwesty yn ffantastig. Ges i Penfras miso wedi'i dduo gyda jam nionyn i ddechrau a draenog y môr gwyllt ar gyfer fy mhrif gwrs. Daeth y penfras miso mewn cawl ysgafn, wedi'i orchuddio ag ewyn addurniadol. Ymledodd gwylltineb daearol y nionyn ar fy nheml gyntaf, ac yna ffresni môr Cymru. Parodd y draenog y môr yn hyfryd gyda'r saws bordelaise. Roedd yn bleser gweld dail o siard Swistir yn amsugno pob diferyn ar yr ochr.

Ar ol gorffen fy souffle afal, Cefais de a thri tryffl siocled cain wedi'u gwneud â llaw, pob un â chanol tawdd gwahanol.

Wrth gerdded ar hyd y coridor papur wal blodau glas powdr gyda'i fyrddau sylfaen cerfiedig, dychwelais i'm hystafell sengl ar ôl tair awr o fwyta cain. Roedd yr ystafell yn Fictoraidd ostyngedig, yn glyd ac yn fawreddog ar yr un pryd.

Roedd yr ystafell yn goruchaf dros yr aber, lle roedd golau haul meddal yn disgleirio ar y dŵr yn fy neffro'n glyd. 7:00. Yn barod am frecwast llawn Cymreig.

Costiodd £220 am un noson gyda mynediad i Bortmeirion, cinio a brecwast wedi'u cynnwys. Doeddwn i ddim yn disgwyl y gallai bwyta cain fy llenwi mor llwyr. Mae Portmeirion yn gymharol fforddiadwy ac yn bendant yn werth ymweld ag ef.

Gan Louis So

Cymraeg

Issue. 10

Thank You to Our Contributors: Toby Cotton Demi Cooney Courtney Olwen Manel Sophie Meaton Poppy Parsons Ealish Royle Louis So Tee Spiers Harriet Stoneman Ameelia Sultan Tathan Williams