Monday, February 28, 2011

Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd

Tomorrow is Saint David's Day, and Wales and myself will be celebrating!



Without going into a long drawn out history of Saint David, he is the patron Saint of Wales of which there is a shortage of real historical evidence. This is more than made up by the colourful legends that abound about his life and work. What is known is that he was born at Henvynwy in Ceredigion sometime between 462 and 512 and is believed to have died on Tuesday March 1 in 589.




It is tradition in Wales to wear leeks or daffodils on your clothing for Saint David’s day.





According to legend St David advised the Britons on the eve of a battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps so as to easily distinguish friend from foe. This helped to secure a great victory. It is also a surviving tradition that soldiers in the Welsh regiments eat a raw leek on St David’s Day. The Welsh for leek (the original national emblem) is Cenhinen, while the Welsh for daffodil is Cenhinen Pedr. Probably over the years they became confused until the daffodil was adopted as a second emblem of Wales.




Either will do, so celebrate the day with a little savoir faire and wear a leek (not too sensible) or a daffodil, and in the words of Saint David "Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd" or "Do the little things in life."




16 comments:

  1. congratulations!!!!,
    tomorrow is your day!
    I wish you a lovely day of St. David!

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  2. Backbone of Britain since Henry V. Allow me to put in a good word for Bruce Chatwin's "On the Black Hill," and wish you a good whisky.

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  3. Happy St. David's Day! I was planning on making a leek risotto tonight, now I will definitely have to. I love the photo of the leeks and daffodils, what a great springtime centerpiece.

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  4. Charming tradition~
    Your day David!
    Hot creamy leeks soup with a touch of truffle oil would be lovely in this cold temperature!!

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  5. i lived in cardiff for a year and the funniest thing was going to a rugby game and seeing everyone waving inflated leeks or daffs!

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  6. I will purchase a daffodil to wear.

    Great tradition!

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  7. Thank you for sharing the story of St. David, David! "Do the little things in life" is a great motto by which to live, and surely that includes buying some petit fours just for oneself.

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  8. A wonderful St Davids day! An interesting post!!

    Join my Artfful Offering and Read a great Interview at my site.

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  9. Awesome!..Have a gread Saint David´s Day!

    xx
    Andy

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  10. COOL!!
    Happy St. David's Day Mr. David! :)

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  11. Love this of course - you just supplied my learn something new for today!! I had no idea - and isn't Welsh such a strange language. So Happy St. David's day to you - my husband and son both have David as their middle name - so I will have to inform them of their "david duty" tomorrow.

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  12. I love this post. I had never heard of St. David's day before. Oh...and love the petit-fours as well...they look delicious! k

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  13. Well, I'm going to buy some daffodils... and add a few extra consonants to every other word...in honor of the Welsh.

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  14. ===============================================

    Oh i missed the Day of The Great David !

    I 'm not really on Blogger since a few days....

    Thank you Magical King David, for your Royal presence on my " space "...

    And here is what i wrote about my thoughts about Super John :


    The only ones who knows the thruth are the ones who were in the bar .....

    Unfortunately, we live in a world where a lot of People are just expecting one thing : the decline of those who seem happy.....

    I always saw John with a cross on his chest......


    Have a super week David !
    Kiss-Kiss !

    ===================================

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  15. Thanks to Lenore Nevermore I've found your delightful blog. I guess that makes me one of the chosen few? My grandmother was born in Wales - does that count? Wishing you a curiously charming Thursday, Susan x

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  16. Many thanks all for the wonderful comments and best wishes!

    Susan, many thnaks for your visit and comment. Yes I think that counst you as one of the chosen.

    Jean-Pierre, There is now a job at Dior for you!

    Jason, How about a few vowels?

    Kathy, They look good dont they! Putit in your calendar for next year!

    Quintessance, I hope your husband and son wore a leek!

    Gerald, Andy and Karena, many thanks!

    Mark, I have always believed in the small things.

    Pigtown, many thanks for your visit! MM, inflatable leeks, now there is a market!

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