| Saint David's Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant |
| Observed by | Wales Welsh people Welsh diaspora Anglican Communion Catholic Church |
| Type | National |
| Celebrations | Children participate in aneisteddfod |
| Observances | Parades Wearing Welsh emblems |
| Date | 1 March |
| Frequency | Annual |
Saint David's Day (Welsh:Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant orDydd Gŵyl Dewi[ˈdɨːðˌɡuːɨ̯lˌdɛu̯.iˈsant,ˈdiːð̩ɡʊi̯lˌdɛu̯.i]), or theFeast of Saint David, is thefeast day ofSaint David, thepatron saint ofWales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD.
Traditional festivities include wearingdaffodils andleeks, recognised symbols of Wales and Saint David, respectively, eating traditional Welsh food includingcawl, and women wearingtraditional Welsh dress. An increasing number of cities and towns across Wales, includingCardiff,Swansea, andAberystwyth also put on parades throughout the day.
The day is not apublic holiday in Wales, which has prompted calls for aSt David's Day to be a bank holiday in Wales and some organisations designating unofficial celebrations.
The feast has been regularly celebrated since thecanonisation of David in the 12th century byPope Callixtus II.
Saint David (Welsh:Dewi Sant) was born inCaerfai, southwest Wales into an aristocratic family.[1][2] He was reportedly ascion of the royal house of Ceredigion,[3] 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 whereSt Davids Cathedral stands today.[4]
David's fame as a teacher and hisasceticism spread amongCeltic Christians, and he helped found about 1200 monasteries.[1] His foundation at Glyn Rhosyn became an important Christianshrine,[5] and the most important centre in Wales. The date of Saint David's death is believed to be 1 March 589.[6] His final words to the community of monks were: "Brothers be ye constant. Theyoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil."[7]
For centuries, 1 March has been a national festival. Thefeast day of Saint David was initially celebrated around the 10th century[8] according to the early writings of theAnnales Cambriae. Saint David was recognised as a national patron saint in the 12th century[2] at the peak of Welsh resistance to the Normans.[9] He was canonised byPope Callixtus II in 1120, thanks to the work ofBernard the bishop of Menevia. The 17th-century diaristSamuel Pepys noted how Welsh celebrations in London for Saint David's Day would spark wider counter-celebrations amongst their English neighbours: life-sized effigies of Welshmen were symbolically lynched,[10] and by the 18th century the custom had arisen of confectioners producing "taffies"—gingerbread figures baked in the shape of a Welshman riding a goat—on Saint David's Day.[11]
In the poemArmes Prydein (The Prophecy of Britain), composed in the early to mid-10th century, the anonymous author prophesies that the Cymry (theWelsh people) will unite and join an alliance of fellow-Celts[12] to repel the Anglo-Saxons, under the banner of Saint David:A lluman glân Dewi a ddyrchafant ("And they will raise the pure banner of Dewi").[13] Although there were occasional Welsh uprisings in the Middle Ages, the country was briefly united by various Welsh princes before its conquest[14] at different times, and it arguably had a very short period of independence during the rising of Owain Glyndŵr, but Wales as a whole was never an independent kingdom for long.Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of Richmond, who was born inPembroke Castle as a patrilineal descendant of theTudor Dynasty of North Wales, becameKingHenry VII of England after his victory overRichard III at theBattle of Bosworth Field in 1485, to end theWars of the Roses.[15] Henry's green and white banner with a red dragon became a rallying point for Welsh patriotism with the memory of Saint David on his Feast Day. Henry was the first monarch of theHouse of Tudor, and during the reign of that dynasty, the royal coat of arms included theWelsh Dragon, a reference to the monarch's origin. The banner from Henry's victory was not adopted as the officialFlag of Wales until 1959.[16] Theflag of Saint David, however, a golden cross on a black background, was not part of the symbolism of House of Tudor.[17]
Children in Wales participate in school concerts oreisteddfodau, with recitation and singing as the main activities. Formerly, schoolchildren were given a half-day holiday. Officially this custom does not continue, although the practice can vary between schools.[1] The younger girls sometimes weartraditional Welsh costumes to school. This costume includes a long woollen skirt, apron, white blouse, woollen shawl, and aWelsh hat.[1]
Also, various WelshRegiments of theBritish Army use aspects of Saint David's cross, Saint David himself, or songs of Saint David in their formalities during the celebrations. Many Welsh people wear one or both of theNational symbols of Wales to celebrate St. David: thedaffodil (a generic Welsh symbol) or theleek (Saint David's personal symbol) on this day.[1] The leek arises when a troop of Welsh could distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy (some historical accounts indicate Saxon invading forces), dressed similarly, by wearing leeks.[18]
Theflag of Saint David often plays a central role in the celebrations and can be seen flying throughout Wales. Popular dishes traditionally eaten on Saint David's Day includecawl (soup),bara brith tea loaf,Welsh Cakes,Welsh lamb andWelsh rarebit.[1]
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Around Wales each year, Saint David is commemorated in parades, the largest of which is inCardiff. The parade is a non-military celebration of Welsh heritage and culture.[19] To mark Saint David's Day and their return from a six-month tour of Afghanistan, soldiers from theRoyal Welsh Regiment provided theChanging of the Guard ceremony atCardiff Castle's south gate on 27 and 28 February 2010.[20]
On 1 March 2010, the seventh National Saint David's Day Parade occurred inCardiff city centre. Celebrations included concerts, a parade, and a food festival. The food festival ran from 26 February with the third annual Really Welsh Food Festival inQueen Street, featuring all-Welsh produce.[21][22] Following the parade, several Welsh entertainers performed and in the eveningCardiff Central Library provided free entertainment and food.[22]
Many towns now hold an annual parade through the town centre. Concerts are held in pubs, clubs, and other venues.[1] In the town ofColwyn Bay in north Wales, an annual parade through the town centre is now held with several hundred citizens and schoolchildren participating. Other events are centred on the parade.[23]
Swansea inaugurated a "St David's Week" festival in 2009 with a range of musical, sporting, and cultural events held throughout the city to mark the national day.[24][25][26] For 2018, the city followed St David's Day celebrations with a two-day food festival.[27]
Disneyland Paris also organises yearly events to celebrate Saint David's Day, which includes a Welsh-themed week, fireworks, parades, and Disney characters dressed in traditional Welsh attire.[28]
Washington, DC holds a St. David's Day congressional reception at theUnited States Capitol in honour of theFirst Minister of Wales' biannual visits.[29]
TheLos Angeles St. David's Day Festival – National Day of Wales is the largest annual event of its kind in the United States, encompassing aneisteddfod,Celtic marketplace, classes, and a concert.[30]
UnlikeSaint Patrick's Day in Ireland, Saint David's Day is not a national holiday, though there isstrong support for it becoming abank holiday in Wales. In the past, schools have taken a half-day holiday, which continues in some parts of Wales. Saint David's Day is also celebrated in expatriate Welsh communities outside the UK.[1] Cross-party support resulted in theNational Assembly for Wales voting unanimously to make Saint David's Day a public holiday in 2000. A poll conducted for Saint David's Day in 2006 found that 87% of people in Wales wanted it to be a bank holiday, with 65% prepared to sacrifice a different bank holiday to achieve this.[31] A petition in 2007 to make Saint David's Day a bank holiday was rejected by the office of the British Prime MinisterTony Blair.[32] In 2022 Gwynedd County Council voted to make the day a paid public holiday for their staff.[33]
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