Why do I feel so strongly about being Welsh?

[tomenymur]

I was born and brought up in Wales. Whilst we spoke mainly English at home, with just my dad speaking Welsh to us, I am fluent in Welsh.
I went to university in England and have lived in London ever since.
But, why do I feel so strongly about being Welsh?
I absolutely LOVE Wales, but cant move back as my job and life is here.

If I go shopping and I see that a bag of carrots are from Wales, I would buy them even if I didn't really want carrots that week.
If I can buy specialist coffee or from a wine merchant, I'd favour a Welsh one over one down the road.

Does anyone else feel like this about their home country? I almost feel like it's a duty to do everything I can to support Wales... :o as ridiculous as that sounds

You need to add Wenglish into your vocab.
At the end of the day, when all's said and done, don't get me wrong, dyou know what I mean? Crackin.

Aww I love this OP. Im Welsh (still live in Wales) and I'm the same, would never dream of buying the English butter over the Welsh butter in the supermarket even if the welsh one does cost more

Dwi’n Cymraes... a na.

Well I do love Wales but I don’t feel quite that strongly about it. But perhaps it’s just because you have to live away! I lived on the opposite end of Wales for a while and anytime there was any discussion of the area I’m from I wanted to say “I’m from there” and felt ridiculously proud of my hometown

Oh no wait I do buy welsh butter. Doesn’t make sense to buy English butter 😂😂

I'm not Welsh, but I have roots from a small place, and I feel that way absolutely. No harm in it, enjoy the feeling.

Not Welsh, but lived there a third of my life, fluent in Welsh.

I'm passionate about it too.

Another welshy here 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 born and bred. Still live here and have done all my life. It's a lovely place to grow up, doubt I'll ever leave (as sad as that is)

I’m just like this about being British. I get really emotional about the idea of eventual devolution. I’ve never met anyone who is quite as obsessive as me about it (I’m constantly correcting people calling things English when British is correct) and I’ve always, since I can remember, bought products, cheered for and eaten any old shite if it has a Union Flag on it

Why? Because you have excellent taste! Its a strong gut feeling...

I'm Welsh too, Mumsnet is incredibly English and it pisses me off sometimes. Most posters just refer to England and seem to forget that there is more than one nation in the U.K.
I think that being Welsh becomes stronger when you live away from Wales.
Hiraeth, now there's a word.
Peaky Polly Gold star for completely missing the point.

@Peakypolly
Deary me misses the point and lives in 1950.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of where one is from.

To be born in Wales,
Not with a silver spoon in your mouth,
But, with music in your blood
And with poetry in your soul,
Is a privilege indeed.

Your inheritance is a land of Legend,
Of love and contrast.
A land of beauty so bright it burns the eyes.
Of ugliness that scars the Spirit
As the Earth.

Wales is an old land with wounds
That weep in hills.
They wept before in the bodies of men
And in the hearts of women
And time will never heal them.

The stigmata of sorrow,
Of pain and poverty,
Of lonely crucifixion in the dark,
Remain our lives to feed.

This Land of our Fathers was built on coal.
Its rivers of mingled blood and sweat
Have forever darkened it,
Relieved only by death.

We are a sad people.
Our sadness being wrapped in harps and music
And praise to God,
For the lovely, yearning light
That feeds the Spirit as well as the eyes.

That's why

I'm not Welsh but I was really struck when I visited Wales by how strongly people feel about Wales.

But that's not a criticism, it's a beautiful place. And having a dragon on your flag is pretty cool by anyone's standards. I'd be proud too!

I think it's because the language and culture have been seriously threatened within living memory, so we've developed a strong identity to try and keep.hold of what's unique about being Welsh.
Dwi'n siarad Cymraeg adref. Wrth fy modd yma. Mae'n fraint.

I’m very patriotic too OP. My DP says he’s never met a bunch of people with such passion and determination. Little but mighty I say! I’m in the US now and people don’t even know where Wales is!

Fire andFury
When I was in America I said I was from Wales, they asked which part of England was it in. Was really funny.

Shwmae 👋

Welsh born and bred here. I have travelled lots. I would not choose to live outside of Wales EVER!

That feeling when your crossing that bridge and you’re HOME! 😁

We are definitely a Welsh Butter, red jersey, friendly neighbours, valleys and mountains kind of family.

Cymru am Byth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@AudaCityLimits
You're right about the language being threatened within living memory. My great grandmother died in 1976 at the age of 99 and she was subjected to the Not Welsh campaign in her junior school.

Yes I feel the same about my country New Zealand. Also my grandfather was Welsh and so we flew the Welsh flag above our house growing up in NZ. Wales has a special place in my heart as well 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

I have Welsh people in my family and they are ridiculously patriotic. They have to shoehorn in the fact they're Welsh at every opportunity.

I find England and Scottish people to be more chilled out and less hung up on their nationality (for the most part anyway!)

I think it's a little brother thing, Wales is the smallest country so it feels the need to shout the loudest maybe?

I feel the same about Scotland. I was never so patriotic when I was younger then spent some time living in England (met some of best people I've ever known too while I was there) but i felt like my nationality became more important to me while I was there and just wanted to be home so much.

I always scroll to S first when filling out nationality on online forms.. Just incase

I'm Welsh too but live in England and I feel the same.
Anything Welsh makes me incredibly proud. Got Welsh Maris Piper potatoes in my Tesco delivery last week and my heart swelled .
Just redecorated living room before lockdown and Welsh pictures have pride of place - favourite scenery and a modern print Bore Da Mr Haul.
Very proud of fact that DS2 was "accidentally " born in Wales whilst visiting my parents when heavily pregnant.
Both DS have Welsh names.
I love Wales and my Welsh roots.