Egg clapper

Clapping for eggs on Easter was a north Walian rural custom. During the week before Easter, children would visit farms in their neighbourhood armed with a couple of good sized stones. Wooden egg clappers were sometimes made to replace the stones, such as this one. The children would clap the clappers together and chant the following ‘Clap, clap, gofyn ŵy, i hogia’ bach ar y plwy’ [Clap, clap, ask for an egg for little children on the parish]. Children might collect as many as 150 to 200 eggs each and these were proudly displayed on the dresser in their home, with the eggs of the eldest child being placed on the top shelf, and those of the second on the second shelf, and so on. This custom had a detrimental effect on school attendance resulting in some schools celebrating the custom with an official school holiday.

This wooden clapper was presented to the Museum by Mrs Elizabeth Hughes, Tŷ Capel, Llanfairpwll for whom it was made by her father Owen Jones, joiner, about 1835.

This wooden clapper was presented to the Museum by Mrs Elizabeth Hughes, Tŷ Capel, Llanfairpwll for whom it was made by her father Owen Jones, joiner, about 1835.

The egg clapper is on display in the culture and traditions case in Gallery 4.