Swansea’s Distinctive Beaujolais Day Celebrations Compared to Christmas

The third Thursday of November signifies Beaujolais Day, a tradition that typically involves fireworks, music, and various celebrations throughout France to commemorate the release of the initial Beaujolais Nouveau wine bottles. While events acknowledging this day occur across the UK, including in Cardiff, the observance in Swansea, located 40 miles west on the M4, is notably more pronounced. Jennifer Parmenter, owner of The Empire beauty salon, characterized the occasion as “Swansea’s Christmas Day.” Her salon received over 80 bookings for Beaujolais Day makeup appointments and commenced operations at 06:00 GMT on the day, with some clients having sought even earlier slots. Aimee Davies, co-founder of the business, stated, “Beaujolais Day is our busiest time of year, we book months in advance.” She further noted, “We’ve had to hire an extra make up artist to come in for the day due to demand, which means we have seven make up artists in total working.” Ms Davies also mentioned that “the preparations start weeks before, which include aesthetics, hair and nails appointments.” Ms. Parmenter reiterated her description of Beaujolais Day as “Swansea’s Christmas Day,” elaborating, “We’ve even had clients ask if we can open earlier [than 06:00], or if they can have their make up done the night before and sleep sat up, it’s bonkers.” She also observed, “There’s a real party feel in the salon, hours before we even end up on Wind Street.” Morgans Hotel in Swansea is locally recognized for its yearly Beaujolais Day events. Kate Bowen, the hotel’s general manager, reported an expected attendance of 1,000 individuals on Thursday. Ms. Bowen commented, “It’s our biggest day in terms of revenue, however the cost of putting on the event itself gets higher every year.” She added, “It’s a really good day for the team, we all work the event itself. It’s a great day for businesses in Swansea.” She emphasized the significance of utilizing local caterers for the event’s supplies. She further stated, “We are using local suppliers which include Castell Howell and Au Vodka, it’s a great way for businesses to network as well.” The Beaujolais Nouveau wine derives its name from a sub-region within Burgundy, France. Beaujolais Day commemorates the release of the initial Beaujolais Nouveau bottles, which, according to French law, become available at 00:01 on the third Thursday of November. During the 1970s, two wine writers conceived the “Beaujolais Run,” an initiative involving a race to transport the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau from France across the Channel to London. Participants continue to engage in this race, which generates millions of pounds for The Royal Airforce Benevolent Fund. Rob Bellinger, director of the Beaujolais Run, characterized it as a “mad British tradition” that necessitates extensive planning. He explained, “To ensure road safety, competitors transport it via the shortest route rather than in the shortest time.” Mr. Bellinger stated that the wine’s taste has improved, attributing this to global warming’s impact on its development. He recalled, “In the old days really it was like drinking vinegar.” In 2016, historian Peter Stead informed the BBC of his belief that Beaujolais Day “fitted the Swansea zeitgeist.” Mr. Stead elaborated, “This was a community trying to find its feet as a city – looking to gentrify and intellectualise itself – and Beaujolais Day seemed to capture perfectly the spirit.” The No Sign Wine Bar in the city, previously managed by former Wales international Clem Thomas, was among the initial establishments to host a Beaujolais Day event during the 1980s. Chris Thomas, son of Mr. Thomas, expressed that his father would be “thrilled to bits” to witness the event continuing to attract large crowds. He further remarked, “In a city like Swansea, it’s great to see it’s still such an important social calendar.” He noted, “It was pivotal day for the November takings, it was a great excuse to liven up a dreary Thursday in November.” He specified, “Back then we would be taking around £5,000 a week – but takings on Beaujolais could range from £12,000 to £15,000 for that single day.” Inspector Neal Connolly of South Wales Police reported that last year’s Beaujolais Day in Swansea was “extremely busy” and advised attendees to “enjoy themselves, and to do so responsibly.” He also advised, “Please ensure that you have planned your journey home ahead of time, ideally alongside a friend or family member.”