Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! That’s how to say “Happy St David’s Day” in Welsh.
It’s pronounced ‘deethe goil Dewi hapeece’.
And you need to know this because today is St David’s Day (1st March).
But why do we celebrate St David’s Day, who was the Patron Saint Of Wales and what are the traditions surrounding it?
Here’s your handy at a glance guide to St David’s Day.
What is St David’s Day?
It’s a celebration held every 1st March in honour of St David, who is the Patron Saint Of Wales.
As such, it is also the national day of Wales.
It is not a bank holiday (neither is England’s St George’s Day), although St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day are.
Who was St David?
Like so many saints, God only knows what he really did.
However, according to legend, he performed miracles including restoring another saint’s sight (St Paulinus).
He is said to have made the earth rise beneath him while preaching to a crowd so his sermon could be heard better.
During a battle against the Saxons, he also apparently advised soldiers to wear leeks in their hats to avoid friendly fire.
This is why one of the emblems of Wales is the leek.
St David also went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was made an Archbishop, and founded a load of monasteries.
How do people celebrate St David’s Day?
Parties usually include traditional dances and songs, such as the Welsh National Anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers), Te Bach – a tea with fruit bread bara brith and teisen bach (welsh cakes).
Children sometimes wear traditional national costume – the boys’ being a white shirt, black trousers and waistcoat and the girls’ being a petticoat and overcoat, bonnet and tall hat.
There’s parades across the country featuring music, dance and dragons, with the biggest, The National St David’s Day Parade, in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
This year, the parade starts at 12.30pm at Cardiff City Hall and ends at St David’s Hall.
Many Welsh castles and heritage sites also offer free entry on the day.
Some adults also wear the Welsh national symbols – leeks or daffodils.
Why the leek?
As explained above, leeks helped St David and the Britons win a battle, as wearing them helped them recognise comrades.
So leeks now mean victory and national pride to the welsh.
It’s also tradition that soldiers in the Welsh regiments eat a raw leek today.
Why the daffodil?
The Welsh for leek is Cenhinen, while the Welsh for daffodil is Cenhinen Pedr (Peter’s Leek).
Through a mixture of linguistic confusion and trends – the daffodil became popular in the 19th century -the daffodil also became a national symbol.
It doesn’t hurt that daffodils are usually in full bloom this time of year either.
Why the dragon?
The Welsh national flag features a red dragon on a white and green background (as opposed to the flag of St David which is a yellow cross on a black background).
The dragon refers to Arthurian legend when Merlin apparently had a vision of a red dragon (representing native Britons) fighting a white dragon (the Saxon invaders).
The green and white refers to the colours of the House of Tudor, the 15th century royal family of Welsh origin.
