St David’s Day on March 1st honours Dewi Sant, a 6th century monk who founded monasteri…

St David’s Day on March 1st honours Dewi Sant, a 6th century monk who founded monasteries across Wales and whose last words to his followers were “do the little things,” a phrase that has become a quiet national motto. People wear leeks or daffodils, children dress in traditional Welsh costume for school eisteddfodau, and cities like Cardiff hold parades. It’s not a public holiday, which is a constant source of grumbling, but the Welsh celebrate it anyway. It has grown from a medieval religious feast day into something closer to a national day of identity, less about the saint himself and more about what it means to be Welsh.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​