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 The opening ceremony takes place 12:45 outside the National Museum of Wales in Cathays Park. The 6th Annual St. David's Day Parade sets off 1p.m. from the museum and follows a route that passes many of Cardiff's historic sites, finishing in front of the stunning Senedd of the National Assembly for Wales. 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 celebrations are more subdued, consisting of church services over several days, tea parties and receptions in the town hall. There will be a flower trail and a competition for the best cawl a Welsh soup. Expect the cathedral to be decked out in daffodils and leeks, however.
- Cadw The Welsh government organization that protects all of Wales' built heritage,celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2009 and, in honor of the milestone opens the doors free to all its national monuments on March 1, St. Davids Day. If you are visiting castles in Wales on the day, expect storytellers to crop up, relating St. David's history to one and all.
