Eisteddfod

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) Am assembly or session of the Welsh bards; an annual congress of bards, minstrels and literati of Wales, - being a patriotic revival of the old custom.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

A gathering of Welsh bards and others, now annual, at which, out of a patriotic motive, prizes are awarded for the encouragement of Welsh literature and music and the preservation of the Welsh language and ancient national customs.