St David's Day 2025: Everything you need to know

BBC News

26-02-2025

Every year on 1 March, Welsh people around the world celebrate the country's patron saint - St David.The day is a celebration of Welsh culture, traditional food and music.Many people also choose to wear one or both of Wales's national emblems - a daffodil and a leek.Special concerts and parades are also held in St David's honour.But who was Saint David and how is the day traditionally celebrated? Keep reading to find out.
Who was Saint David?
St David - or Dewi Sant in Welsh - was born on the south-west coast of Wales, near to where the city of St Davids is today.We don't actually know the exact year when he was born, but it is believed to be some time in between 462 and 515 AD.There are many stories about miracles happening around St David.One of the famous stories is from when he was speaking to a large crowd and someone in the crowd shouted: "We won't be able to see or hear him".Then, the ground David stood on is said to have risen up so that he was standing on a hill, making it easier for everyone to see him.It is also said that he lived for more than 100 years and died on Tuesday, 1 March 589.Patron saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over all areas of life.England, Ireland and Scotland also have their own patron saint, to whom they dedicate a separate day.
How do Welsh people celebrate St David's Day?
The National St David's Day parade is held in the centre of Cardiff every year, with lots of exciting performances.Usually, many children take part, wearing traditional Welsh clothing and performing traditional dances.For girls, this includes red and black plaid skirts, red shawls, tall black hats, or bonnets. Whereas boys often wear shirts with a waistcoat, neckerchiefs and breeches.Across the country, many towns and villages host their own parades and concerts, including a special dragon parade in the small city of St Davids in Wales.People also eat traditional Welsh foods such as cawl (a lamb stew with potatoes and winter vegetables), bara brith (a rich fruit loaf made with tea) and laverbread - which isn't a bread but a traditional Welsh delicacy made of seaweed.
Three facts about Saint David
1. He was a vegetarianSt David and his monks ploughed fields by hand and didn't eat meat.It is also believed that St David only ate leeks and drank water.2. His words live onHis last words to his followers before he died are thought to have been: "Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do."The phrase gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd - "Do the little things in life" - is still a well-known phrase in Wales.3. He left his markIt is said that he went on a special religious journey to Jerusalem and brought back a stone with him.The stone now sits on an altar in St David's Cathedral, which was built on the site of David's original monastery.
How did the daffodil become the national symbol of Wales?
While there is no accepted single answer for why the daffodil was adopted as the symbol of Wales and became its national flower, there are a number of competing theories.One theory is that around 1 March, when St David's Day is celebrated, we begin to see daffodils starting to flower.But, it could also relate to an older traditional Welsh symbol - the leek. That's because the Welsh word for daffodil is cenhinen Bedr, which translates to "Peter's leek". Sadly, it's not known who the mysterious Peter was who gave his name to the flower.Because these plants both bloom at this time of year, the daffodil might have been chosen as a slightly prettier and more pleasant smelling option than the leek?
Why is the leek the national symbol of Wales?
There are a few theories about why leeks have become the national symbol of Wales.One has its roots in legend, in the year 1346, when the Prince of Wales defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy in northern France.Welsh archers are said to have fought bravely in a field of leeks, and as a reminder of their bravery and loyalty, the Welsh began to wear a leek in their caps every St David's Day.The legend also makes an appearance in William Shakespeare's play Henry V written in the 1500s, when a character from Wales wears a leek to show that he is from Wales.During the Tudor period, monarchs asked their guards to wear leeks on their uniforms on St David's Day.One legend has it that when St David went into battle, he asked all of his army to wear leeks on their armour to keep them safe.In the 16th century, Henry VII's daughter, Princess Mary, is said to have been presented with a leek on St David's Day, and there are also records of payments for leeks in the accounts books of several Tudor kings.By the 17th and 18th centuries it was common practice for the king and members of his court to wear leeks on St David's Day.