The first of March is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. It is celebrated with a variety of traditional festivities and special church services throughout the country. If you happen to be in Wales at this time of the year, you may observe parades, concerts, and people wishing each other Gŵyl Dewi Hapus’, which translates as ‘Happy St David’s Day’ in Welsh.

You may also notice some of the country’s national symbols prominently displayed, such as leeks, daffodils, and the Welsh national costume. Some people might celebrate by making traditional dishes such as rarebit, bara brith or Welsh cakes. It’s also a great opportunity to treat yourself or a loved one to another much loved Welsh symbol, the love spoon.

Love spoons are hand crafted from high quality wood such as limewood, sycamore or walnut, and have a special emblem on the handle. Sometimes this may be directly related to Wales, such as a dragon, a Celtic cross, or a daffodil. It may also be a symbol of love or friendship, or it can simply be enjoyed as a beautiful decorative item for your home.

However you may choose to celebrate St David’s Day this year, it’s fascinating to discover more about this charismatic saint who is one of the most important figures in Welsh history and religion. Here are some interesting facts that you may not know.

St David was born in a storm on a clifftop

St David was born 500 years ago to St Non during a fierce storm, and his birthplace is marked by the ruins of St Non’s Chapel on a Pembrokeshire clifftop. It is an exceptionally beautiful and remote location, and the simple chapel and nearby holy well attracted pilgrims with their spiritual charge.  

He founded a monastery that is now the site of Britain’s smallest city

St David knew his spiritual destiny from an early age, and as a young man he founded a monastery near the the place of his birth in Pembrokeshire. The original monastery site still exists today in the form of St David’s Cathedral; the small surrounding settlement is therefore Britain’s smallest city with a population of around 1,800 people.

In the UK, city status is automatically conferred on any settlement with a cathedral, and Wales has two other very small cities: St Asaph in the north east (population about 3,400), and Bangor in the north west (population about 15,000). 

He travelled fairly extensively

Although strongly associated with Wales, St David travelled much more than most people in his era did. He was an exceptionally gifted preacher, and he undertook pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and founded other monasteries in Brittany and south west England. Some scholars believe that he was involved in the creation of Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset.

He was possibly a vegan

St David is considered to be the epitome of the monk’s simple and restrained lifestyle, which included not consuming alcohol or eating meat. Some scholars believe he existed on a very austere diet of leeks and water, which is possibly why the leek is now one of national symbols of Wales.

His nickname was said to have been ‘Dewi Dyfrwr’, which translates as ‘David the Waterman.’ Despite or maybe even because of this restricted diet, St David is thought to have lived until at least the age of 89 or 90, passing away on the 1 March 589. 

He performed miracles

St David acquired a legendary reputation as the performer of miracles, including restoring the sight of a blind boy and bringing a child back to life by splashing him with his tears. The most famous miracle was said to have been performed at the village of Llanddewi Brefi, where a crowd had gathered to hear him preach.

Some of the crowd could not see or hear St David giving his sermon properly, and in response, a white dove is said to have settled on his shoulder while the ground rose and elevated him above the crowd. This enabled everyone around to see and hear him clearly. The hill still stands today and is the site of a church. 

The white dove is an emblem that has been associated with St David throughout history, and can be seen on his shoulder in visual representations such as stained glass windows and manuscript illuminations. 

He is remembered for is dying words

St David’s powerful dying words were: “Brothers and Sisters, be cheerful and keep your faith and belief, and do the little things that you have heard and seen through me.”