Mar 1
St. David's Day
Brithwe Dewi Sant (Welsh)
St. David
"Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd" (Do ye the little things in life)
~ from a sermon of St. David, the patron saint of Wales
St. David, a sixth century bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) lived a simple life and practised asceticism, teaching his followers to refrain from eating meat and drinking beer. His symbol, also the symbol of Wales, is the leek (as well as doves and daffodils for this day). According to one legend, on the eve of the battle against the Saxons St David advised the Britons to wear leeks in their caps so as to easily distinguish friend from foe. This helped to secure a great victory. Today, there is a tradition that soldiers in the Welsh regiments eat a raw leek on St David's Day.
For Saint David's Day, patron saint of Wales, we have "Brithwe Dewi Sant (Welsh)" tartan." Brithwe' is the Welsh for a coloured fabric.
Designed by Sheila Daniel of Cambrian Woollen Mill, Powys, from an ancient design, the colours chosen represent those of Wales and incorporates odd numbered threads and a differing warp and weft to create a vertical stripe.
David (known in Welsh as Dewi) was a bishop who founded many monasteries in Wales in the 6th century.
It is claimed that David lived for over 100 years and that he died on a Tuesday, the first of March. His last words to his followers were in a sermon on the previous Sunday which included the phrase:
"Do ye the little things in life" ("Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd").
For more about St. David, click the stained glass.