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."
