St David's Day
The Welsh frag, with the Red Dragon, one of Wales' national symbols
When is St David's Day?
St David's Day, the patron saint day of Wales, falls each year on March 1, with a range of celebratory events taking place and the country's national flag flying more than usual. Want to say 'Happy St David's Day' in Welsh? It's Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus - pronounced Deethe goo-eel Dew-ee happ-iss. Easy!
Who was St David?
St David is the patron saint of Wales - as well as the patron saint of doves. Also known as Dewi Sant in Welsh, he was born in Caerfai in Pembrokshire, Wales to Sant, a prince of Cardigan, and St Non, the daughter of a chieftain in around 500 AD. He was recognised as a national patron saint at the height of Welsh resistance to the Normans.
St David studied under St Paulinus in Cardigan before he went on pilgrimages, travelling to Wales, Cornwall, Britanny, Ireland and Jerusalem, where he was made an archbishop.
He helped to spread the word of Christianity, and he founded around 12 monastaries in his lifetime. He also helped to suppress Pelegrian heresy, where people believed that original sin did not taint human nature and people are capable of choosing good or evil without divine aid.
Monastaries founded by him were known for their extreme asceticism, where monks abstained from worldly pleasures, living on a diet of bread, vegetables, water and milk. They also did all of the hard labour themselves, including farming without the aid of an ox to plow the fields.
While little is known about St David's life, he is known for performing miracles. His most famous miracle was when he was preaching to a large crowd at the Synod of Brefi and raised the ground beneath him into a hill so his sermon could be heard by all.
He also miraculously lived after eating bread poisoned by monks at his monastery who tired of their life of austerity, as well as restoring the sight of his tutor, St Paulinus.
In medieval times, St David was thought to be the nephew of King Arthur. In some stories, it is his mother who was the niece of King Arthur. Legend also says that St Patrick foresaw David's birth.
During St David's last sermon his words to his followers were: "Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us." "Do the little things" has become a well-known inspirational saying in Wales.
St David is thought to have died on March 1, 589 AD, and his remains were buried in St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, which was a popular place of pilgrimage after he was canonised in 1120 AD. His shrine was removed by Vikings in the 10th and 11th centuries, and a new shrine constructed in its place in the 13th Century. Making two pilgrimages to his shrine at St David's Cathedral is thought to be equivalent to a pilgrimage to the Vatican, while three are equivalent to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. St David has been patron saint of Wales since the 12th century - he was canonised by Pope Callixtus in 1120. Of the patron saints of the British Isles, only St David and St Patrick had visited the country they are the patron saint for. St Patrick was a Romano-British missionary, St George was a Roman soldier of Greek extraction and St Andrew was from Palestine.
What are the symbols and images associated with St David?
The flag of St David is a yellow cross on a black background. On St David's Day, the flag of St David and Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon, Wales's national flag), will be flown more than usual.
Images of St David often depict him on a hill with a white dove on his shoulder. The dove represents the Holy Spirit which gifted St David with eloquent speech when he preached. Some stories say the dove is depicted because a dove landed on his shoulder on the day he miraculously raised a hill to preach.
People often wear leeks in remembrance of St David's guidance during the battle against the Saxons when, supposedly, St David advised Welsh warriors to wear a leek during a battle with the Saxons, so enemies and allies could be distinguished. They won the battle and leeks became a Welsh symbol.
Taken from The Telegraph's "St David's Day 2019: Welsh traditions, medieval miracles and how leeks became iconic symbols"
