St David’s Day Around the World
Posted by Lewis on the 25th February 2009
Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March each year. The date of March 1st was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David on that day in 589, and has been celebrated by followers since then. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_David%27s_Day
Should there be a national holiday in Wales on St David’s Day?
Will you be doing anything special to celebrate St David’s Day?
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St. David's Day, or Yr Wyl Ddewi, should be a bank holiday in Wales. It's a celebration of our national identity, our language and culture, so often put down by the Welsh themselves. Centuries of being told that we are inferior to our English conquerors has been embedded within us to the point where we were almost afraid to raise our eyes, figuratively speaking of course.
That's all changed now though, and where we once feared that Welsh would die out completely, it's now thriving with Welsh medium schools full to capacity as the old heritage is rediscovered.
There is unfortunately still an enmity towards the English that I feel we should grow out of. A few months back an English lady wrote into the Cynon Valley Leader to relate how she had heard a girl at a supermarket checkout telling a companion of hers how she hated the English.
What, all of them? I asked myself. A crazy mindset to be carrying around with you. It's fine to have that tension during an international match, but to carry it around with you on a daily basis is just sheer ignorance, and does the cause of Wales and the Welsh no good whatsoever.
They have a week of celebrations in San Fransisco to celebrate Yr Wyl Ddewi; I can vouch for that from my mate who's lived there over 30 years, so it would be great to see the whole of Wales joining in some kind of similar celebrations too.
Gwyl Ddewi hapus iawn i bawb!
I am interested to read what you say about the week long celebrations of St. David in San Francisco. Here in Slough -a few miles up the M4 from the Welsh border - it is largely forgotten even though there is a reasonable number of Welsh residents. My local pub/restaurant runs Burns Night and St. Patrick parties but do not seem to have heard of St. David, while some local shops sell St. Patrick greeting cards but nothing for St. David. Mind you, M&S does on occasion sell welshcakes although they do not like calling them that!
What we do have is a Slough & District Welsh Society that put on a very successful St. David's dinner/dance last Saturday, 21 February. (We had to celebrate a week early because a number of our guests are members of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir which have a commitment this coming Saturday.)
There's a bar in San Fransisco called Dylan's Bar run by a Merthyr boy, and the week long celebrations take place there. Welsh bands have been known to go over to play during the week of St. David. There's also Welsh fare to be had, as well as generous servings of Penderyn whiskey!
I haven't been there myself, but I know people who have; my old mucca who has lived in San Fransisco for about 30 years is a regular patron.
Y Ddraenen, despite your all too predictable view the Welsh language is not actually the cornerstone of national identity and the misguided belief that it might be continues to anchor the social and mental advancement of this country and indeed will do so until people release the language from the state of suspended death in which it currently exists. People like you for example.
Yes March 1st needs to be a public holiday in Wales. This will help lift the profile and meaning of being Welsh !!
I for one would like to wish all a Happy Saint David's Day, here in Alberta it isn't acknowledged but my sons know what day it is they both wear something red that day . St. Patrick 's day is big here so of course not one of us wear green or attend any of the functions although I hear they quite the night out lol. It's a matter of hey support us we will support you,. Also they both go to work with their real leeks tomorrow on their coveralls , and my little grandaughter got her fist daffodil plant that she is diligently watering hope she keeps it up. (It is still the 28th Feb here lol)
To all A very Happy St. David's Day. I will be listening to
the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir today and thinking of you all..
Check out www.vwmc.ca
They bring back lots of Welsh memories today. You can hear them in their "listening Room".
Have a good day everyone.
Happy Saint Davids day to all on Aberdare online.Hope you all have a good day.i love to hear the Choir singing.
A very happy Saint Davids day to one and all. I don't know if this works if not find BBC wales.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7916759.stm
Happy St David's day to you all,hope you all have a lovely day .I have a vase full of daffodils in the house and it is a glorious sunny day ,just what we like on this day.
Is there much celebrating going on in Wales.?
PS
OOPS !!!! missed your post there Nonrev ,I see there are lots of things going on.
I've just been listening to the Vancouver male voice choir.
they are good fair play, thank you Toots.
There are lots going on BG so I hope everyone enjoy them.
Happy St.Davids Day .. Twice as happy for me to be back on line ..Had 3 drastic nose bleeds in 4 days heart then took a wobbly ended up in the Heath hosp in Cardiff no one could understand how I was so aneamic..Never really had an illness in my life.Still today the sun is shining I had tremedous care ,love and attention in Royal Glamorgan and Heath and life is sweet on this Dydd Gwyl Dewi Diolch i Dduw.
Glad to hear you are better Eiragwyn and back on line, a nice St Davids day present for you, the sun is shining as you say. The staff at the Royal Glam are marvellous.
Sorry to hear you have not been well Eiragwyn,I hope you had a nice St Davids Day,we also had lovely sunshine today.Please take care .
Eiragwyn
Glad to see you back sorry to hear you have been ill I hope you are well on the road to recovery.
BG
St. Davids day is celebrated in all parts of the world even more so than in Wales itself.
Dozens of South American countries celebrate the day as do cities here in Australia.
I went to a St' Davids day night of celebrating here in a Perth suburb and thought I was at the Arms Park on Match day with so many people, Men & Women wearing Welsh rugby jumpers. It was a fantastic night with special meals for the occasion.
Put Wales to shame really as I never experienced so much patriotism when I lived in Wales. But One becomes more patriotic when one lives abroad, believe me it's true.