January can feel like a rather flat month for many people. The excitement and bustle of Christmas and New Year are over for another 12 months, the days are short and the weather is cold and wet. There’s often not a lot to lift the gloom, except that is if you happen to be in Wales with love and romance on your mind.

This is because the 25 January is St. Dwynwen’s Day. This may not mean very much to those who are not fortunate enough to to live in the land of music and song. However, in Wales, St. Dwynwen’s Day is a significant date on the calendar, and some people choose to celebrate it as an alternative to Valentine’s Day.

They may take the opportunity to present a loved one or a potential sweetheart with a card and a gift of chocolates or flowers. Some may even look for a more traditional and authentic present, such as a hand carved Welsh love spoon. These are crafted from high quality wood such as sycamore, limewood or walnut, and have a special symbol on the handle.

For example, a heart shaped bowl signifies a full and happy life together; a key and keyhole says security, domesticity, and a life destined to be together; and an anchor signifies a wish to settle down and stay together. It’s a touching and meaningful way to show someone what is in your heart, whether it’s for a new love or an anniversary of a special relationship.

What is special about St. Dwynwen?

So why is this particular saint so special in Wales, which is certainly a land not short of celebrated religious figures? Well, Dwynwen was a fifth century princess, one of 24 daughters of King Brychan Brycheiniog and regarded as the most beautiful of them all. More importantly than this, she had a loving and loyal character.

When she fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill, the young lovers were thwarted by Dwynwen’s father, who had already arranged for her to marry someone else. The distraught lovers fled from each other, and Dwynwen begged God to send her some help, which appeared in the form of an angel. 

The angel gave Dywnwen a potion to drink, which turned Maelon into a block of ice, and then promised to grant her three wishes. Her first wish was that Maelon be unthawed; her second was that God should help all true lovers; and her third was that she would never marry anyone.

Dwynwen was granted her wishes, and she lived the rest of her life as a hermit nun on Llanddwyn Island, which is a delightful rugged outcrop just off Newborough Sands on the north coast of Anglesey. After her death, Dwynwen became the patron saint of lovers.

It’s still possible to walk to St Dwynwen’s Church at low tide, which has been a site of pilgrimage for centuries. It’s a wild, romantic spot, and the perfect place to take that special someone for a day out this January.