St David's Day
| Saint David's Day | |
|---|---|
|
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| Official name | Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant |
| Observed by |
Wales Welsh people Welsh diaspora Anglican Communion Roman Catholic Church |
| Type | National day in Wales. |
| Celebrations | Children take part in eisteddfodau |
| Observances | Parades Wearing Welsh emblems |
| Date | 1 March |
| Next time | 1 March 2018 |
| Frequency | annual |
Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, Welsh pronunciation: [dɨːð ɡʊɨl ˈdɛui]) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 CE. The feast has been regularly celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century (by Pope Callistus II), though it is not a national holiday in the UK.
Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, recognised symbols of Wales and Saint David respectively, eating traditional Welsh food including cawl and Welsh rarebit, and women wearing traditional Welsh dress. An increasing number of cities and towns across Wales including Cardiff, Swansea and Aberystwyth also put on parades throughout the day.
Saint David (Welsh: Dewi Sant) was born in Caerfai, south west Wales into an aristocratic family. He was reportedly a scion of the royal house of Ceredigion, and founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosyn (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro) at the spot where St David's Cathedral stands today.
David's fame as a teacher and his asceticism spread among Celtic Christians, and he helped found about 12 monasteries. His foundation at Glyn Rhosyn became an important Christian shrine, and the most important centre in Wales. The date of Saint David's death is believed to be 1 March 589. His final life to the community of monks was: "Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil."
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