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poorly googled factsheet - St David's Day

Happy St David’s day everyone.

St David, known to the Welsh as Dewi Sant in Welsh, is famous for his popular decimal library filing system. He is also the patron saint of Wales - making him the sworn enemy of Andrew, the patron saint of whalers.

But did you also know that David is principally known for a miracle when he was preaching in the middle of a large crowd? Those at the back complained that they could not see or hear him, and the ground on which he stood is reputed to have risen up to form a small hill so that everyone had a good view. Which means David is also the patron saint of the cheap seats.

After retiring from preaching, St David ran the St David luxury hotel and spa in Cardiff, although not with great success. Historians think this was because of the ascetic lifestyle he preached - guests had to drink only water, to eat only bread with salt and herbs and to spend the evenings in prayer, reading and writing. Like a Travelodge.

Despite this, the business survived for a while until a water park opened next door, which really did for him.

David died in the year 590, leaving us these parting words… “Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd' which is something we’ve all said at one time or another, when really drunk.

Today, the Welsh people celebrate St David’s death by wearing traditional Welsh dress (rugby boots and a mining helmet). The girls also pin a daffodil to their clothing, and the boys do the same with a leek. This is because, as everyone knows, girls are beautiful, delicate flowers and boys are vegetables.

Welsh foods are also consumed on this day, including lava bread, made from red hot rocks, and welsh rarebit, which is the same as welsh mediumbit, but not cooked as long.

Leek soup is also popular, although some question the wisdom of eating soup made of something you were wearing earlier that day. After all, you don’t see underpants soup anywhere outside of a small number of very niche websites.

After eating, celebrations include festivals of song, poetry and Welshness called eisteddfodau. The word eisteddfod is derived from the Welsh word eistedd, meaning "to sit", and bod meaning "to be" and therefore means "to sit around doing nothing.”

So why not join famous Welshies like Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones and Jones the Steam and celebrate the way St David would have wanted… with a glass of tepid water and some salty bread?

Enjoy!

(ps I feel bad now. Travelodge is actually quite a decent hotel. Sorry Travelodge.)

posted by Peter The Great @ 8:15 PM