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Saint David’s Day: A Background

by Adam Howarth, Editor
Saint David’s Day

Saint David’s Day

Happy Saint David’s Day

Saint David was born in the 6th Century, around 500AD. Legend has it that his mother (Non) gave birth to him on a clifftop in Pembrokeshire during a fierce storm. At the moment of his birth, a bolt of lightning struck the rock, splitting it in two.

Dewi became very popular and well known for his piety. He was consequently canonised a saint by Pope Callixtus in 1120. Dewi’s shrine at St David’s Cathedral became an important place of pilgrimage. We celebrate St David’s Day on March 1st each year since this was the day of his death in 589AD. His final words at his death of “Do the Little Things in Life” is still a well known Welsh saying.

Residents of Wrecsam can be proud as they wear their national emblems of daffodils and leeks and wave “Ddraig Goch” flags to celebrate St David’s Day at the parade around the town and during entertainment by the Guildhall on March 1st at 1pm.

Dewi Sant would be ecstatic at how awareness of the importance of living in Wales has developed. How the Welsh language has developed during the last 10 years in Wrecsam.

Welsh is now prominently displayed in supermarkets, shops, sports centres, Love Wrexham magazine, the Saith Seren pub, and on street signs around the town. A great example is the attitude of the new owners’ of Wrexham FC at the Racecourse. More children, young people and adults are confident speakers of the language as a result of the teaching of the Welsh language in all schools, six Welsh-medium primary schools, Ysgol Morgan Llwyd secondary school, and Welsh courses at Coleg Cambria and Glyndwr University

Enjoy St David’s day and remember, “Do the Little Things in Life”.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus

Ganwyd Dewi Sant, yn y 6ed ganrif, o gwmpas 500 OC. Yn ol un chwedl amdano, ganwyd Dewi ar ben craig yn Sir Benfro yn ystod storm fawr, a phan chwalwyd y graig yn ddarnau gan fellten. Daeth Dewi’n boblogaidd iawn ac yn enwog am ei dduwioldeb, a chafodd ei wneud yn Sant gan y Pab Callixtus yn 1120. Daeth ei gysegrfan yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi yn gyrchfan bwysig i bererinion. Rydyn ni’n dathlu Gwyl Dewi ar Fawrth 1af oherwydd bu Dewi farw ar y diwrnod hwnnw yn 589OC. Llefarodd y geiriau olaf hyn i’w bobl “Gwnewch y pethau bychain*, a glywir yn aml gennym ni heddiw.

Gall trigolion Wrecsam deimlo’n falch o wisgo’r genhinen neu genhinen Bedr a chwifio baneri’r Ddraig Goch i ddathlu Dydd Gwyl Dewi yn yr orymdaith o gwmpas y dref ac yn ystod yr adloniant wrth Neuadd y Sir ar Fawrth 1af am 1yp

Basai Dewi Sant wrth ei fodd, mae’n siwr, o weld pa mor fyw yw’r Gymraeg yn yr ardal hon heddiw, gyda’r ymwybyddiaeth newydd o bwysigrwydd yr iaith. Datblygiadau diweddar yn y cyfleusterau i’w dysgu ar bob lefel, yn cynnwys chwech ysgol gynradd Gymraeg, Ysgol Uwchradd Morgan Llwyd, chyrsiau Cymraeg yn Coleg Cambria a Phrifysgol Glyndwr. Bellach gwelir y Gymraeg yn amlwg ar arwyddion ffyrdd a strydoedd, yn ein siopau, archfaarchnadoedd, canolfannau hamdden, y Saith Seren, mewn cylchgrawn poblogaidd fel Love Wrexham, heb son am y sylw a’r cyhoeddusrwydd a gafodd yn ystod y datblygiadau cyffrous, diweddar ar y Cae Ras.

Mwynhewch Ddydd Gwyl Dewi a chofiwch, “Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain”.

For more of our Welsh-related articles, please click here.

Saint David’s Day

The beautiful feature image is by Wrexham’s own Catrin Ellis on Unsplash.

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