Welsh Culture in Gaiman

Gaiman is situated in the North Coast of Chubut River. This attractive village is the most prestigious center of the
Welsh culture and traditions they preserved the best. Old buildings are in very good condition from the Welsh arrival in the province and their settlement in the valley.
You can enjoy the traditional Welsh tea and cake, surrounded by the spectacular landscape the valley offers.
The Welsh tea is a familiar tradition brought by Welsh settlers which became part of culture in Gaiman and in other Welsh villages. The Welsh tea is accompanied by a black home-made cake, cream pudding, nut cake, apple-pie, chocolate and cream cake, and fruit-pies; besides delicious home-made marmalades and butter we can taste with scones and home-made bread.

Welsh Chapels

The chapel was the centre of the Welsh colony life.
A great number of activities were planned and determined in there.
Until the first chapel was built in 1876-77, meetings took place at a family house. Since then and for over a decade, they celebrated mass in that church until it was demolished by a storm around.
In 1880 what is known today as the “Old Chapel” was built next to the “Bethel Chapel”.
Brotherhoods helped to keep union and hope.
On Sundays there was a ceremony in the morning and “Sunday school” for children in the afternoon shift.
Little by little, a church was built in each area which makes long distance shorter, especially in bad weather.
Drinking tea was a tradition that came from Wales, where any time and moment was good for having tea. Tea used to be brought from India on ships (“Tea Clipper”). Actually, “Mimosa” was one of these ships, which was later turned into a passenger one.
The secret of a delicious flavor was in a good mixture of different kinds of teas.
“I remember long days at work. In the afternoon…a break…a cup of tea, bread and butter, and a slice of fruit-pie or any other pastry prepared on Saturday when the mud oven was light to prepared bread for the whole week.
So we come back with energy to the furrows to get advantage of the light of day and to defeat weather as it might destroy our valuable harvest”, said a settler.
Many years have passed since that historical July 28th 1865. Gaiman flourished and developed… even so, its traditions and culture remain the same…home-made bread aroma in the morning, a warm cup of tea and a virgin landscape are waiting for visitors to come.