Y Dewi Sant - Saint David's Day.

St. David's Day! March 1st heralds for me the a time to look forward to Spring. The long months of January and February behind us, we are in Lent and Easter is on the horizon. Spring holds so much promise.


March the first is celebrated by the Welsh as the day of our patron Saint, St David, and schools and cultural societies throughout Wales follow the custom of wearing a leek or a daffodil - two of our national emblems- and young school children wear Welsh costume.


What do we know of this man St. David? What little factual information we have of him is based on an account written toward the end of the eleventh century. If what we were taught in school is correct, and I am sure it is, he died in 589. I remember thinking when I was about 12 years old, Why do we need to know about someone who has been dead that long? His mother Non and his father Sant lived in Cardigan where the young boy David was educated. As a young man he went on a pilgrimage through South Wales and the West of England. He even went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he was made Archbishop.

He eventually settled in St. David's in Pembrokeshire (see map above) where he established a very strict religious community. St David's is better known these days as being the smallest city in Britain.


I did a St. David's day quiz online last night where I picked up some of the facts I have written about in this Blog, I did okay, but most of it I remember from school. I wonder if schools teach Welsh children anything about St. David today or is it just a chance to dress up (which didn't happen in the 1950's - there was no money about) or is it considered to be not relevant to the curriculum as it may offend the ethnic population?