St David'S Day Concert - The Puget Sound Welsh Association: Fill & Download for Free

He was very ascetic, known as “the Waterdrinker.”He founded the monastery at Mynyw. The rule was very strict. Food was vegetables and salt only. The monks ploughed the land themselves, without animals.At the Synod of Llandewi Brefi in 587 a dove supposedly landed on his shoulder and the ground rose up beneath him as he addressed the Welsh clergy and monks. They then recognized him as Primate of the Welsh Church.

Should St. David's Day be a bank holiday in Wales?First of all I should confess that I am the OP.Although I’ve lived in Wales many years I only ever went to school in England and Ireland (save for a 4 month German exchange), and so do not state this opinion from 1st hand experience. However from all accounts of friends who did go to welsh schools (from all three mediums - Eng, Cym, Bi-lingual) the resounding answer people state, perhaps surprisingly to outsiders is No.Unlike in Ireland, where the events of the day for 17th March revolve around the community, parades, social events and a great deal of drinking - Effectively all the type of events which logistically require a mass public holiday to be able to organise - in Wales the chief childhood memories of St. David’s Day are from events such as assemblies and cultural understanding, which take place at schools and nurseries across the country in a manner similar to nativity plays leading to xmas.There is traditionally not the same drinking culture in Wales generally as Ireland’s, and traditionally the non-conformist religions strong in many heartlands also meant there was a large degree of abstinence and a temperance movement of some size, creating differing traditions.The traditions therefore for both children (and their parents) live on best under the current system, and a change to a public holiday may put what many associate with St. David’s Day in jeopardy. There is a school of thought that it could be a half-day, which would make a compromise and allow for a potential “carnival-lite” culture in the afternoon / early evening while still keeping the school traditions in the morning, but as a consensus this has never really got off the ground as being a widespread proposal.

The myths are much less important than the historical facts, hard though they may be to discern from 1500 years ago.David, son of St Non, was born near Mynyw (present-day St David's) in the kingdom of Dyfed.He became a monk, and a very ascetic one, known as David the water-drinker. His monks drank no beer, lived on a vegetarian diet, and ploughed their fields themselves, without oxen.He became a bishop and was present at the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi c. 560 AD. Some sixty churches were dedicated to him, so he evidently had considerable spiritual influence. He died c.589 AD.