Tuesday 1 March 2011

1st March. - St. Davids Day.

St. David (Dewi Sant) the patron Saint of Wales was a monk who lived during the sixth century and died circa 588 on March 1st.

Although perhaps not as well known as Irelands Saint Patrick, for centuries the date has been a National Festival in Wales.
As part of the celebration people wear either a leek or a daffodil in their lapels.

National St. Davids Day Parades will take place today in Cardiff and Wrexham in Wales, as well as further afield in China and New York!

Apparently Welsh Week is being celebrated across the United States.
Click here to go to the BBC News Wales web page for more info.


In honor of the occasion (and because it was my lovely Dad's favourite flower) some freshly picked daffodils from my garden, with branches of forsythia and red buds of flowering quince.


I'll be linking this post to A Return to Loveliness with Kathy @ A Delightsome Life today
and I'll also be joining Liz @ Rose Vignettes for Fresh Cut Friday,
 where there are bound to be masses of pretty spring vignettes to see.


27 comments:

  1. How wonderful! I love learning about different places and different events. It is marvelous to see daffodils and forsythia blooming in your garden, mirroring mine!
    I need to go trim my forsythia - it is wandering!
    Thank you for adding your special post to A Return to Loveliness - You've made it all the more special,
    Kathy

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  2. Hi Maggie,
    Great post! I knew nothing of St. Davids Day. My husband's family (on his father's side) originated from Wales so I am definitely going to share this info. with him.
    The flowers are just gorgeous!!!
    Jane

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  3. Hi Maggie!
    I didn' know about St. David's Day. i love to learn new things. The flowers are such a refreshing site to see. Happy David's Day to you!

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  4. Maggie, your garden looks marvelous. The forsythia is so full and the perfect mate for your pretty daffodils. Yours put mine to shame. I didn't know about St. David's day. Love the idea of celebrating with a daffodil!
    Enjoy a beautiful day! ~ sarah

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  5. Maggie, you are ahead of me with so many daffodils blooming. Mine are beginning to, but not in such profusion. I, too, learned something today, I didn't know it was St. David's Day! Enjoy your beautiful garden.

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  6. Happy St Davids Day to you Maggie! I didn't know about this and I'll be SURE to pass the info along...LOVE your flowers. They are all my favorites of spring too... You have reminded me to go out and cut some branches and bring them in to force... LOVE Forsythia!!!
    Hugs to you,
    Donna

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  7. Daffodils! Forsythia! And was that a hydrangea I saw beginning to leaf out? I am so jealous. Spring is way behind here in our corner of the world.
    Blogging is quite educational, don't you think? I would have never known about St. David had you not written about him.

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  8. What beautiful flowers you have.
    It has been so cold here (we had another snowfall last night and this morning) so no daffs in the gardens, yet. I also posted about St. David's day on my "Letter from the Northwest" blog. Once, when we lived in Suffolk, there was snow on Easter Monday and I had snow on my daffs in the garden.

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  9. Your garden is beautiful, Maggie. And I love your pretty arrangement. I love forsythia!

    I had never heard of St. David...thank you for the info. Very funny though, I am making a recipe with leeks tonight!

    XO,
    Jane

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  10. How lovely to have Saints days acknowledged. I remember St Barbara's Day from our days in the military, and of course, St Patrick, but otherwise I am ignorant.

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  11. I do so love hearing about your part of the world, Maggie! I didn't know anything about St. David. I love that your posts are educational and beautiful all at the same time. I'm jealous you have such lovely flowers blooming already. They look so pretty!

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  12. Oh my goodness- Spring has arrived in Normandy! Your daffodils and forsythia are so beautiful. A few years ago I got rid of the silk flowers I'd accumulated over the years but I saved a bunch of daffodils. I think I will go find them now - knowing that they are blooming in your corner of the world. Interesting to hear that St David's day is celebrated in the US. I'll click on that BBC link now. Thanks Maggie.

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  13. Maggie,

    I don't think I have ever heard of St. David's Day! Just beautiful flowers! I do not miss the weather up north but I do miss the lilacs and daffodils and tulips. As soon as I see daffodils in the market, I will have some - even though they don't last!

    Carol

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  14. Os sweetie, while your lawn is tunrnin' green...so am I. I am so jealous of your bloomers! Heeehehehe!!!

    What a wonderfully informative post girl. I truly enjoyed the read.

    God bless ya and have an amazin' day my friend! :o)

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  15. Hi Maggie, I have never heard of St. David or his special day, but I am always up for another thing to celebrate! I do love daffodils and I have enjoyed a few trips to Wales. My daffodils are still buried under so much snow! I hope they aren't trying to pop out their little heads yet. I am your newest follower and look forward to learning so much more from you! Linda

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  16. Oh what a lovely post! Love the info on the special days to celebrate. Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers too! Oh, I love to see them in the spring! Just gorgeous.
    Sherry

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  17. How beautiful, Maggie. Your garden is blooming! Daffs are one of my favorites!
    St. David's day is new to me....

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  18. They are beautiful! Your bouquet is just Spring in a Vase! :)

    Thank you for joining in for Fresh-Cut Friday! :)

    ~Liz

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  19. I've never heard of this before, so interesting. Thank you for sharing. And what a pretty bouquet.
    Hav a great day!
    *hugs*Deb

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  20. Maggie, I'm back for another stroll in your beautiful garden. ;-)
    Hugs ~ sarah

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  21. Some more beautiful daffodils. I am enjoying the view of the spring flowers on blogs! Have a great weekend!

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  22. St. Davids Day, interesting! Your daffodils and Forsythia make such a pretty arrangement.
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  23. I love your gorgeous bouquet Maggie! I have a forsythia but it has never bloomed, yours looks great in the vase:@)

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  24. Your fresh blooms are a sight for sore eyes! Thank you for telling us about St. David! ~amy

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  25. Maggie seeing that color on this dreary Sunday made me smile. I did not know there were parades for St. David's Day!
    Looking fwd to seeing you at the party on the 15th!
    Kathleen
    NY

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  26. So happy I found your blog this morning -- I will be visiting Normandy from March 13 - 20 with a group of high school students.

    We have had yet another dumping of snow in southern Canada -- hopefully it's the last but it means the snowdrops won't show up for another few weeks. And don't even get me started on how long I have to wait for daffodils:) My mum was Welsh and loved daffodils to celebrate St. David's day.

    Anyway, I'm looking foward to visiting your area (we'll be in Rouen) and practising my very poor French (it's been a long time since high school and I don't get much chance to practise in Ontario).

    Thanks again for a wonderful blog -- I'll be visiting often.
    Rose (an ex-pat Brit living in Canada)

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  27. I think I'm signing up for the St Patrick's Crawl- whcih i see at the end of your lovely post- and the new monsieur chien est aussi tres beau!

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Thanks for stopping by, your visit just made my day!