Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus! Happy St David's Day!

Today, March 1st, is St. David's day, honoring the patron saint of Wales.
St. David (or Dewi Sant in Welsh) was a 6th century monk who helped spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain, eventually becoming the archbishop of Wales.

Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate Saint David: the daffodil (a generic Welsh symbol which is in season during March) or the leek (Saint David's personal symbol) on this day. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen Bedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's leek"). (from the Wikipedia article on St. David's Day)

Today is a the day to listen to Welsh songs and remember our ancestors who came to America from Wales - and pin a daffodil to your lapel.

Links:
• Rhys James Jones has written an interesting article about St. David and the celebration of this holiday in Wales.
• St. David's Day Quiz (with answers at the end)
• The Wales Week in New York web site has an interesting article "Keeping Up with the Joneses" (pdf) about the Wales and the Welsh in America.