Saint David's Day

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Saint David's Day
Official name	Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant
Observed by	Wales
Type	National holiday in Wales.
Date	March 1
Celebrations	Children take part in eisteddfodau.
Observances	Wearing of the Welsh emblems

Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on March 1 each year.

The date of March 1 was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David on March 1, 589, and has been celebrated by followers since then. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century.

In 2006 Saint David's Day was officially celebrated on 28 February by Roman Catholics and on 2 March by the Anglican Church in Wales as saints' days are not celebrated on Ash Wednesday, which is a day of penitence ([1], [2]).

A poll conducted for Saint David's Day in 2006 found that 87% of the Welsh wanted March 1 to be a bank holiday, with 65% prepared to sacrifice a different bank holiday to ensure this.[3]

[edit] Traditions

Children take part in school concerts or eisteddfodau, with recitation and singing being the main activities. Formerly, a half-day holiday was afforded to school children. Officially this custom does not continue, although the practice can vary on a school-to-school basis.

Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate Saint David: the daffodil (a generic Welsh symbol which is in season during March) or the leek (Saint David's personal symbol) on this day. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen Bedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's leek").

Males usually wear leeks or daffodils. The younger girls usually wear their Welsh costumes to school. This costume consists of a long woollen skirt, white blouse, woollen shawl and a Welsh hat.

The Flag of Saint David is most commonly seen flying on Saint David's Day.