Breton is a Celtic language derived from the historical Common Brittonic language, and is most closely related to Cornish and Welsh. It was imported to Western Armorica during the 5th century by Britons fleeing the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain. Breton remained the language of the rural population, but since the Middle Ages the bourgeoisie, the nobility, and the higher clergy have spoken French. Although some people swear by the southern Atlantic coast or the Mediterranean, the beaches of Brittany have nothing to envy them! With their fine sand and crystal-clear waters, along with the lighthouses that rise up out of the landscape, the Breton coasts boast some real postcard scenery. a b Priscilla Franken. Vocatis (ed.). "La Bretagne a un taux de chômage faible, mais qui ne profite pas assez aux seniors". Archived from the original on 12 April 2013 . Retrieved 1 March 2013. Bounded by the sea and defined by its traditional character, Brittany is a beautiful region in northeastern France with welcoming and interesting places to visit. Many distinctive traditions and customs have also been preserved in Brittany. Among them, the " Pardons" are one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism. These penitential ceremonies occur in some villages in Lower Brittany on the feast day of the parish's saint. The penitents form a procession and they walk together to a shrine, a church or any sacred place. Some Pardons are reputed for their length, and they all finish by large meals and popular feasts.

As a general rule cyclists are very well respected in the region and many larger towns have cycle-lanes – however traffic is 'cycle-friendly' even in their absence. Tableaux de l'économie française, Édition 2020, Villes et communes de France". INSEE . Retrieved 11 December 2020.

Christian Y. M. Kerboul (1997). Les Royaumes brittoniques au très haut Moyen Âge. Éditions du Pontig/Coop Breizh. pp.80–143. ISBN 2-9510310-3-3. This area was also affected by the Bagaudae (also spelled bacaudae) during this period, which were groups of peasant insurgents. The main hub of activity on Belle-Île-en-Mer is Le Palais, an interesting town with many restaurants, hotels, art galleries, and artisans' workshops. The Gallo community is estimated at between 28,300 [74] and 200,000 [73] speakers. The language is taught on a non-compulsory basis in some schools, high-schools and universities, particularly in Ille-et-Vilaine. [73] Religion [ edit ] Sculpted " calvaries" can be found in many villages in Lower Brittany.

INSEE (ed.). "Démographie – Population sans doubles comptes au recensement: Loire-Atlantique (série rétropolée 1851–1962) – série arrêtée". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015 . Retrieved 7 July 2013.Main article: Kingdom of Brittany A 1922 nationalist engraving of Nominoe, first king of Brittany Battle of Ar Roc'h-Derrien during the War of the Breton Succession

Nathalie Molines and Jean-Laurent Monnier (1993). Le " Colombanien ": un faciès régional du Paléolithique inférieur sur le littoral armoricano-atlantique. Vol.90. Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française. p.284. of the poll respondents agreed that Brittany should have more political power, and 31.1% thought that it should stay the same. Only 4.6% favoured independence, and 9.4% were undecided. [68] Several Breton lords helped William the Conqueror to invade England and the Bretons formed over a third of the landing force in 1066. They received large estates there (e.g. William's double-second cousin Alan Rufus and the latter's brother Brian of Brittany). The Bretons helped to liberate the Cornish, replacing Anglo-Saxon land owners. Some of these lords were powerful rivals. The Osismii, who lived in the western part of Brittany. Their territory comprised the Finistère département and the western extremity of Côtes-d'Armor and Morbihan.The main road artery linking cities and other settlements along the north coast is the Route nationale 12 which connects the cities of Rennes, Saint-Brieuc, Morlaix and Brest. It also provides a link to southern Normandy, terminating in Paris. In south Brittany the Route nationale 165 performs a similar role along the south coast providing connections between Nantes, Vannes, Lorient, Quimper and Brest. The Route nationale 164 crosses the centre of the peninsula and connects Rennes to Loudéac, Carhaix and Châteaulin, and the Route nationale 166 links Rennes to Vannes. The Route nationale 137 provides connections between Saint-Malo, Rennes and Nantes and terminates in Bordeaux. [ This paragraph needs citation(s)] Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Numerous festivals were created, along with smaller fest-noz (popular feasts). The bagadoù, bands composed of bagpipes, bombards and drums (including snare), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottish pipe bands. The Lann-Bihoué bagad, one of the most well-known, belongs to the French Navy. It is the only one that does not take part to the annual bagadoù competitions. Celtic harp is also common, as are vocals and dances. The Kan ha diskan is the most common type of singing. The performers sing calls and responses while dancing. Breton dances usually imply circles, chains or couples and they are different in every region. The oldest dances seem to be the passepied and the gavotte, and the newest ones derive from the quadrille and French Renaissance dances. Price, Glanville (30 March 1986). The Celtic connection. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780861402489 . Retrieved 3 May 2011. Fabien Lecuyer (23 April 2013). "Bertaèyn Galeizz change de nom. Un évènement pas si anodin". 7seizh. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014 . Retrieved 25 April 2014.