St.David's Day Events Across the World
St David's Day Around the World - Festivals and Events
It's not just in Wales that St.David's Day is celebarted you know. Evbents, festivals and celebrtaions are going on this week across the World from California to Hong Kong. Even Mickey Mouse is getting in on the act.
Who Was St.David the Patron Saint of Wales?
Dewi Sant or St David of Wales, is thought to have been born near the present town of St David's. He is believed to be the son of 'sanctus rex ceredigionis'. This is believed to be Sandde or Sant, prince of Powys and the son of King Ceredig, the founder of Ceredigion.His mother is thought to be Non, daughter of a Chieftain of Menevia whose Kingdom included what is now the town of St David's in West Wales. His mother is said to have given birth on a cliff top in the middle of a violent storm. The exact year of his birth is unknown, with estimates ranging from 462 to 515 AD.
David became the Abbot of St David's and died on 1st March 589. A.D. Many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground rose upbeneath him, and all could hear.
He was buried in what is today St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, the smallest City in Wales and the United Kingdom, having a population of nearly 1600 on the last electoral roll. His holiness was such that medieval pilgrims equated two pilgrimages to St David's were worth one pilgrimage to Rome.
March 1st , St David's Day, is now the traditional day of the Welsh. March 1 is the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Sant, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh.
Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn. School boys usually where a leek which has become an emblem of Wales, and sometimes eaten before they finish their school day. More recently the boys have taken to wearing the Welsh rugby team jersey. The girls wear traditional Welsh costume. St David's Day is now celebrated by Welsh people all over the world. The traditional Welsh greeting is Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus! Happy Saint David's Day!
Here’s a more comprehensive look at goings-on around the world:
USA
New York – St David’s Day Dinner (March 7th)
Arranged by the Welsh Society for the first Sunday in March.Chicago
Cawl & Cocktails (March 1st)
Organised by the Chicago Tafia, this night offers traditional Welsh food and a pub quiz with prizes donated by Welsh companies.Chicago – St David’s Day Banquet (March 6th)
The Cambrian Benevolent Society prove how strong the Chi-town Welsh contingency is with this afternoon luncheon.
