ABERGAVENNY town centre was all lit up on Friday evening, not by Halloween pumpkins or Christmas lights but by a lantern parade celebrating the fact that the Welsh language is very much alive and kicking.

Children from schools across Abergavenny gathered at St John’s Square, along with their families, to parade through the town singing, dancing and enjoying themselves through the medium of Welsh.

The lantern parade was led by Carys Glyn, a teacher at Ysgol Gymraeg y Fenni who is also a member of the Abergavenny Committee of the Welsh Language Initiative.

Children sang Welsh language songs throughout the parade and parents and community members enjoyed a performance of traditional Welsh songs such as of ‘Lawr ar Lan y Môr’, ‘Sosban Fach’ finishing with a rousing rendition of the national anthem ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’.

Carys Glyn said, ‘Our aim in organising the festival was to build upon the enthusiasm, support and pride that the community of Abergavenny and surrounding area had shown towards the Welsh language during last year’s National Eisteddfod.

‘Just like the lights in the lanterns we wanted to show that the Welsh language has a bright future in our town.

“We wanted to give people of Abergavenny a chance to dance sing and to just enjoy themselves in Welsh - looking at the enthusiastic faces, smiling and singing during the procession I think we achieved our aim’.

People from across Wales were able to see the local community’s celebration of the language as the whole parade was televised by S4C’s Heno programme and broadcast on Friday evening.

Mererid Lewis Davies one of the organisers of the event said, ‘Following the success of this year’s festival we are already looking forward to see the lanterns lighting up the town once again next year’.