Visit Wales for the next St David’s Day!

St David's Day is perhaps the national holiday of Wales, and it's March 1st every year. If you want to feel like the whole country has rolled out the red carpet for your group, consider traveling next March! 

What is St David’s Day?

It is the day that Wales celebrates their patron saint, Saint David. But it isn't quite like a lot of other country-wide celebrations; St David's Day is all about little acts of kindness and reflecting on Welshness and what it means to the individual.

The phrase from the patron saint, "gwnewch y pethau bychain" – "do the little things" – is directly what inspired these practices.

These little things can involve gifting lovingly carved spoons, speaking Welsh even if it's not your native tongue, wearing leeks, and giving your loved ones a cwtch, or a cuddle!

However, outside of these gentle acts, there are also myriad St David's Day parades and parties! From capital parades to pop-up performances in small Welsh towns, the opportunities to integrate into the Welsh communities on St David's Day are numerous. 

Not to mention Wales' strong choral ties! Dubbed the Land of Song, the Welsh identity has been tied to choral singing since the Industrial Revolution! Sing a capella Welsh tunes in the square or learn from a Welsh choral conductor and dive deep on the language while your groups visit next spring. 

Daffodils, dragons, and leeks – oh my! Why are these symbols associated with Wales?

Cenhinen Bedr

Daffodils are long associated with Wales', however, the connection is less direct than you might think. It goes on a journey from the name translation of "Peter's leek", with leeks already being established Welsh iconography. They also conveniently bloom in early spring, right around St David's Day! 

Ddraig Goch

You may have seen the fearsome red dragon on the Welsh flag; this was officially introduced in 1959. However, it was an emblem long before! In folklore for centuries, the red dragon fought the invading white dragon for control over its domain. Its victory – the settlement of Wales – is celebrated by this emblem. 

Cennin

Would you believe that the leek's association with Wales nearly predates its written history? And it's not that there's a long standing cooking tradition; these were battle ornaments! In the 7th century, leeks were strapped to armour by Welsh fighters so that their forces could be easily distinguished. 

While in Wales, visit the fabulous sites of Snowdonia!