Background
St David plays a very important role in Welsh culture but little is known about his life. It is believed that he lived to be 100 years old and that he died in 589, but the first texts on his life only appeared around five hundred years after his death.
St David travelled widely throughout Wales, Cornwall in the south-west of England, Brittany in France and possibly to Ireland and Jerusalem. He founded several churches and a monastery in Wales and eventually became an archbishop. St David was canonized in 1120 and March 1 was included in the church calendar as St David's Day.
What do people do?
St David is the patron saint of Wales. March 1 is a day of celebration of both St David’s life and of the Welsh culture in Wales and in countries such as Canada and the United States. Many people attend special church services, parades, choral recitals or Welsh literature readings. Schools plan celebrations, often involving choirs, on the day. Many people pin a daffodil or leek to their clothes and some, especially children, wear traditional costumes.
The Welsh flag, a red dragon on a white and green background, is displayed. The traditional meal on St David's Day is cawl. This is a soup that is made of leek and other locally grown produce.
Public life
St David's Day is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom or countries such as Canada and the United States. However, it is a day of celebration so many schools, institutions and even businesses will have a special program for the day.
