St David’s Day 2019

Today is St David’s Day! St David’s Day 2019

St David’s Day 2019 is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1st March, the date of Saint David’s death in 589 AD.

Saint David or Dewi Santin as he is known in Welsh was born in Caerfi, South West Wales between 462 and 515 AD. The exact date is unknown, but it is believed that St David lived for over 100 years.

He is not the King David of the Old Testament, but rather a bishop who lived in Wales in the 6th century CE. St David founded many monasteries, which he used to spread the word of the Gospel during Middle Ages England. As St Patrick is to Ireland, St David is regarded as the man who brought the Christian Gospel to Wales.

Legend has it…

Images of St David suggest that the Welsh Saint himself may have adorned an epic organic beard. Shame he wasn’t around to be considered for the St David’s Day Beard of Wales annual poll.

The most famous legend however that grew about St David is this. ‘One day, while David preached outside, a crowd gathered. The crowd became so large that many could not hear his words. At this point, it was said that the ground beneath St David’s feet began to rise and lifted him up as if to put him on a pedestal. With this miracle, everyone could now hear St David.’

The feast has been regularly celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century, though it is not a national holiday in the UK.

To mark St David’s day 2019; people around the globe wear one or both of Wales’s national emblems – a Leek and/or a Daffodil.

A St David’s Day parade is held in Cardiff and Swansea every year; with performances by local theatre groups. Traditional Welsh dress is worn and children take part in the dances.

Disneyland Paris organises annual events to celebrate Saint David’s Day which include a Welsh-themed weekend ‘Saint David’s Welsh Week-End‘. Fireworks, Parades and Disney characters dressed in traditional Welsh attire take on a Welsh shine in the celebration of the Welsh Red Dragon.

England, Ireland and Scotland each have a patron saint, to whom they dedicate a day in the calendar.

Learn to speak Welsh!

Good morning – Bore da(Boh-reh dah)

Good afternoon – Prynhawn da (Prin-houn dah)

Thank you – Diolch(Dee-olch)

That leads us to say – Happy St David’s Day! – Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus (dee-the goil De-wi ha-peece)

To celebrate this memorable day, we’re giving away a pocket beard comb and sticker pack with all orders placed this St David’s Day.

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