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Golowan / Midsummer Cornish Phrases
Golowan
Golowan / Midsummer is called "Golowan" in Cornish.
Golowan is the Cornish word for Midsummer and the name of Penzance's Midsummer festival, whose central event is Mazey Day in late June. Below are the word itself, where it comes from, and the words for its bonfires.
Useful words
Golowan
Midsummer
Literally "the feast of John".
gool
feast, festival
The first part of Golowan. The plural is golyow.
tansys
bonfire
Lit on St John's Eve.
tan
fire
The plural is tanow.
The history of Golowan
Golowan is the Cornish word for the Midsummer celebrations in Cornwall, which were widespread before the late 19th century and most popular in Penwith, especially Penzance. They began on St John's Eve, 23 June, with bonfires, fireworks, dancing and music, followed by a fair on Midsummer Day. Since 1991 the Golowan festival in Penzance has revived many of these customs; its central event, Mazey Day, draws tens of thousands of people in late June. The word comes from gool, "feast", and Yowan, "John": the feast of St John.
Common questions
What does Golowan mean?
Midsummer: literally gool, feast, and Yowan, John, the feast of St John.
Golowan / Midsummer in the other Celtic languages
Further reading
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Cornish phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- Wikipedia
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Akademi Kernewek, Gerlyver Kernewek (Standard Written Form): Golowan n.m Midsummer
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Akademi Kernewek, Gerlyver Kernewek (Standard Written Form): bonfire tansys M n.m
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
Credit: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.