St. David’s Day always falls on 1 March and is the annual celebration of the patron saint of Wales. Here’s a look at exactly who St David was, and how he is celebrated in Wales.

St David, known as Dewi Sant in Welsh, was born around the year 500 AD on the site of Non’s chapel in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, and legend has it that the nearby holy well has special healing powers. A native of south west Wales, David was the grandson of the King of Ceredigion.

His remarkable powers as a preacher took him from his home monastery in St Davids to south west England and Brittany, where he founded various religious communities. He was said to have made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and returned with a stone that still sits today on the altar of St David’s Cathedral.

Like many saints, David was said to have performed miracles. The most famous example was at Llanddewi Brefi, where a raucous synod debate was taking place and David could not make himself heard to the crowd. He was said to have laid a cloth on the ground, and a mound miraculously rose up to lift him above the crowd so his voice could be heard.

At the same time, a white dove settled on David’s shoulder as a sign from God. The mound is said to have been the site of St David’s Church at Llanddewi Brefi. On another occasion, David is reputed to have brought a dead boy back to life.

St David was thought to have been vegan and teetotal, surviving on only leeks and water, which is possibly why the leek is the national symbol of Wales. Despite, or maybe even because of this very simple diet, most historians believe that he lived to be 100 years old, dying on 1 March AD 589.

He was buried at St David’s Cathedral in the tiny Pembrokeshire city that also bears his name. He has been celebrated ever since as Wales’ greatest religious figure on the 1 March, and has his own flag, which is a yellow cross on a black background.

St David’s last words were reputedly: “Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.” This is translated into the popular Welsh phrase “gwenwch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd”, which means “Do the little things in life.”

It’s all about those small acts of kindness that can make someone’s day, and even make a big difference to someone’s life, rather than seeking glory through great deeds.

St David’s Day is traditionally celebrated throughout the country with parades and concerts. Proud countryfolk display daffodils and leeks and schoolchildren dress up in the national costume. In the city of St Davids, you can take part in the annual Dragon Parade, or even enter the Ras Dewi Sant marathon if you are feeling athletic!

If you would like to show some love and kindness to someone special in your life at this time of year, you might consider making them a gift of a handmade welsh love spoon, which has a symbol such as a dragon or daffodil carved into the handle.