People across the United Kingdom and the world took to Twitter to commemorate St David's Day on Monday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished the Welsh a happy St David's Day and thanked them for their efforts amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
I would like to wish people in Wales and Welsh people around the world a very happy #StDavidsDay.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 1, 2021
Diolch for everything that you’re doing throughout this pandemic, and Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! 🏴 pic.twitter.com/QYQvVSnUtR
"Diolch [thanks] for everything that you’re doing throughout this pandemic, and Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus [Happy St David's Day]", he tweeted.
British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted his greetings amid the online celebrations, calling Wales a "really beautiful part of the world".
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) March 1, 2021
Queen Elizabeth II also tweeted photos of a visit to the Royal Welsh Regiment in 2017 while sending her salutations to the Welsh people.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 1, 2021
The Welsh Labour Party, which currently holds 29 of the 60 seats in the National Assembly, or Senedd Cymru, tweeted congratulations to the Welsh people.
This St David’s Day, and every day, we’re proud of how the @WelshLabour Government is #MovingWalesForward 🏴 🌹 #StDavidsDay pic.twitter.com/2mnf1axzCp
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) March 1, 2021
What is St David's Day?
Millions of people celebrate St David's Day, which honours the patron saint of Wales, St Dewi in Welsh, each year on 1 March.
Wales' most famous saint was born roughly between 462 and 515 AD, historians believe.
— Stan - Voice of Wales (@Stan007Wales) March 1, 2021
According to folklore, St David was speaking to a crowd when someone said they could not hear or see him. The ground rose higher to create a hill to help the crowd hear his speech. He is also believed to have lived over 100 years.
How Do People Celebrate?
People celebrating the holiday commemorate St David's Day by wearing emblems with a daffodil and leek, as well as attending parades and festivals.
Leeks became an important symbol of Welsh heritage as St David is believed to have been a vegetarian, eating leeks and water with other monks.
— St Davids Cathedral (@StDavidsCath) March 1, 2021
He also went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and brought back a stone, which remains at St David's Cathedral, where his monastery was originally built.
According to the cathedral's website, Dewi's monastic church was rebuilt four times and was destroyed in a fire in 645. Vikings later raided the site in 1088 and 1171.
Parades are usually held in Cardiff city centre and other major cities, but this year's festivities have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
— richard bradbeer (@richbradbeer) March 1, 2021
People usually hold performances with dragon dances and traditional Welsh clothing across the country, with many castles in Cardiff, Penryn, and Caernarfon, among others, hosting their own ceremonies.
