Helen's Racing Welsh Love Spoon

This Lovespoon was activated on 1 April 2010. It is racing against Michael's Racing Welsh Love Spoon. Every year on 1 April the distance each Love Spoon has travelled will be calculated and the winner for that year will be announced. Please make sure I am the winner by moving me as far as possible.

Results for 1 April 2011:

Michael-432 miles

Helen-12,886 miles

 So the winner is Helen by 12,454 miles!!!

 

Results for 1 April 2012:

Michael-1909 miles

Helen-3225 miles

 So the winner is Helen by 1316 miles

The custom of carving and giving Welsh Lovespoons originated in Wales hundreds of years ago. The young men of today would probably buy flowers, chocolates or jewellery as a token of affection. Centuries ago in Wales, the young lover would also give gifts of sweets or cakes; but they would also give a special, more personal gift to the object of their desire, the Welsh Love Spoon. Some of the early love spoons can be seen on display at the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff. There is even one that dates back to 1667.

This was a custom that was not confined to Wales, but happened across Europe, especially in Celtic countries. Because the rural peasant people used wooden spoons to eat and prepare food, they had to carve numerous simple spoons for this purpose. It is very likely therefore that more intricate carvings developed naturally from this, and the most beautiful spoons were kept to give as gifts.

Young men had a lot of time on their hands during the long winter evenings, and while some would turn to poetry or composing songs, others would carve all kinds of things such as kitchen utensils or toys for the children from spare pieces of wood.

There has been much debate on the significance of the different symbols and motifs used in the carving of lovespoons. Many of the young carvers were shy and unwilling to show their emotions, and this would attempt to convey their true feelings through the use of various symbols. This lovespoon has a twisted stem, which means togetherness, and a Welsh Dragon which symbolises protection.