Traditionally, the Welsh sport daffodils or strips of leek on their lapels or in their caps on St. David's Day. If you catch a glimpse of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, on March 1, you'll likely see a small yellow daff on his lapel. In some areas, women wear their traditional national costume on the day - a tall black bonnet with a frill around the face, a frilly shawl worn over a long red dress.
Big, public celebrations of St. David's Day are still relatively new, few and far between. But here is where to find them:
- Cardiff celebrates with a whole weekend of Welsh themed entertainment - landmark concerts, food celebrations, Welsh music and dancing in a variety of venues including Queen Street, Cardiff Castle, Central Library and St David's Hall. The 8th National St. David's Day Parade, sponsored by Cardiff Council and the National Assembly for Wales. Mustering at the Civic Centre,between Cardiff City Hall and the Law Courts at 11:30a.m., the Parade starts at 12:30 p.m. and winds through the city center, ending in The Hayes with traditional entertainment about an hour later. The parade gets bigger and better each year, with floats, marching bands and banners from all the Welsh counties.
- Swansea celebrates with daffodils, welsh cakes and folk music around the Swansea Bay. The celebrations start about a week in advance at locations all over the city. Events change annually, but you can usually count on local restaurants and markets featuring traditional Welsh foods, children kitted out in Welsh costumes and Dragon parades on the day itself. Visit the Swansea website to see what's happening in Swansea and the Mumbles this year.
- St. Davids In the UK, any place with a cathedral is considered a city. That makes St. Davids, with its tiny, 12th century cathedral, the UK's smallest city. The cathedral is built on the spot where St. David himself founded a monastery in the 6th century. Here St. David's Day celebrations have traditionally been more subdued, consisting of church services over several days, tea parties and receptions in the town hall. But they are growing, as St David's Day celebrations are growing all over Wales. During almost a week of festivities, there will be a dragon parade, a local eisteddfod, or choral competition, a flower trail, live entertainment in Castle Square and a competition for the best cawl a Welsh stew. Expect the cathedral to be decked out in daffodils and leeks. In 2012, celebrations get underway on 25 February.
