Any Welshman knows that Saint David’s Day is a very big day in his country. It is celebrated in style and not a single detail is missing, as there are masses, concerts, parades, recitals, sporting events and, of course, feasts. In addition, the flags wave with pride and the Welsh carry the national symbols that their history has left them and that are tradition. Do you want to know this event well and know What is celebrated on St David’s Day in Wales?? Well keep reading.
What is celebrated on St David’s Day in Wales?
Starting from the calendar, the Saint David’s Day in Wales, or Saint David’s daytakes place on the day March 1st. It is on this date that, according to history, the saint himself, who is seen in Wales as his patron, dies. David was a great figure in this place, as we shall see. And when he died, in 589, he became an admired character in Wales. To the point that to this day, he still pays tribute to her.
What is celebrated is nothing other than national pride and, hence, so many cultural events are held, so that the little ones can also soak up the culture of their country. Of course, all this without forgetting the religious fervor towards a figure that aroused so much affection among the Welsh, since Saint David was a bishop who helped spread Christianity throughout British lands, combating the Pelagian heresy, very much in vogue in his time.
Bishop David, a humble man who believed in the simple life and sacrifice, so much so that he barely ate water and spiced bread, founded 12 monasteries. But miracles are also attributed to him, such as the fact that when he was preaching among the crowd, a curious phenomenon occurred that, according to the Welsh, could only be the work of a miracle, a sign that they were before a holy man. He succeeded in Effi, being in the synod. And they say that while he proclaimed his word, the earth rose forming a kind of hill and, at the same time, a white dove landed on his shoulder.
For all these reasons, Saint David’s Day in Wales is celebrated as the patron’s day and a tribute from Christians to this holy man. Although as usual, with the passage of time, the religious fervor is declining, leaving more of a festive atmosphere in favor of cultural aspects, which, however, does not mean that the figure of the saint is no longer relevant.
Origin of Saint David in Wales
The origin of the feast of Saint David in Wales you have to look for it in the year 589, the date on which the bishop died. The death took place, according to the files, on March 1. For this reason, every March 1, once raised to the altars in the 12th century by Pope Calixtus II, it has been celebrated in style.
It has been over the years that the tradition has gained in importance, adding acts and sectors that come together, to extol not only the religious figure, but the importance of Welsh culture. And on this day it is customary to remember history, dressing up in popular costumes or carrying national symbols such as the leek and the daffodil.
As for the first of these symbols, the leek, it must be explained that it has its origin in the Middle Ages, because in the war between the Welsh and Saxons, this vegetable was used to carry it on top so that the Welsh soldiers could be easily identifiable in sight, since the enemy’s clothing was very similar.
Later, in the XIX century, daffodil was introduced as an attempt to replace the traditional leek with another more glamorous symbol, although today both coexist and are worn with pride. In any case, the daffodil is a flower that is related to optimism. Prime Minister David Lloyd George was a staunch supporter of this symbol.
Despite everything we have said, it should also be noted that, although the tradition of Saint David of Wales it has centuries of history, but Welsh history is still being built in the present and is very recent. In fact, it was not until 1959 that its national flag was officially displayed.
It shows the figure of a dragon, another symbol of the country. It is necessary to investigate a lot in its origins and, the truth is that of each element and each tradition there are different hypotheses about its origins. Although, the one that gains more credibility is that the dragon comes from the times of King Arthur. According to legend, King Merlin saw a confrontation between a red dragon and a white dragon. The interpretation made of this is that the red dragon would be the native Britons and the white the Saxons. As you know, the British won…
There are also more symbols to highlight, including the welsh flag color. The dragons appear and, in the background, there are two colors that are green and white. They are the colors of the ruling royal house in the fifteenth century, the tudor house.
On St David’s Day in Wales there are recitals, concerts and even parades in honor of St David. It is customary to wear typical costumes and carry daffodils and leeks. But the palate is also pleased, trying the famous gingerbread cookies, the vegetable soup which, of course, has leeks and various meat stews, mainly lamb.
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