5 Fun Facts About St David's Day

1. The 1st of March is known to whales, oops, I meant known in Wales, as St David's Day. He is the patron saint of Wales, and dolphins, and squids. Oh, and hedgehogs. It's celebrated today as today is the day he died, at over 100 years old. Considering this is back in 589, that is very impressive. His last words to his followers were, "Bydwch lawen a chedwch ych ffyd a'ch cret, a gwnewch y petheu bychein a glywyssawch ac a welsawch gennyf i. A mynheu a gerdaf y fford yd aeth an tadeu idi", which translates as "Hallowed are the bacon sandwiches."*


2. Most of the selfies taken by St David on his iPhone have him standing with a dove on his shoulder whilst standing on a hill. This is because of the miracle he performed. Yep, he's a saint, and saints have to perform miracles. Or, magic, as it's commonly known. (Hmm, is Harry Potter in line to become a saint?) Anyways, St David stood on a gentle slope and, piff-paff-poof, abracadabra, expelliarmus, a hill was created. Then along comes a dove who sat on his shoulder. In one Selfie, though, he is pictured with a parrot on his shoulder, a wooden leg, and an eye-patch, which was his Halloween fancy dress costume that year. That guy knows how to party. Or, does he?


3. St David taught his followers to not eat meat, or drink beer. Which made him and them absolutely no fun at parties. And considering this, what is stranger, is that there are Welsh breweries who actually make special St David's Day ales and beers for the celebrations. So, keeping it real to the man, and all that. One brewery even created a beer made with Welsh lamb to toast the celebrations. Do these people not know St David at all? No meat or beer. He taught his followers not to consume meat or beer. And you combine both of them? Sheesh Kebab. 


4. The National Assembly of Wales voted unanimously, and 87% of all Welsh people, to have St David's Day be created a bank holiday. 65% of Welsh people were even prepared to give up one of the other bank holidays instead. However, along comes the evil Prime Minister Tony Blair who, after kicking a puppy, rejected the proposal.


5. Over 350 years ago, Welsh celebrations of St David's day in London gave way to anti-Welsh-celebrations in which effigies of Welshmen were hanged or burnt. Bakers also made gingerbread Welshmen, called taffies, which depicted Welshmen being skewered or riding goats. This may not have been as anti-Welsh as we might think, although probably was, as gingerbread men date back to the time of Elizabeth I, who was known to have gingerbread men made to resemble her VIP guests at the palace. It was a great honour to be presented with one.






*Unfunny, but historically correct, note: The actual translation of his last words is not, "Hallowed are the bacon sandwiches," but is in fact, "Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us."