The patron saint of Wales in English. Wales - "land of friends", art and mountain landscapes

At the very beginning of spring, on March 1, Wales is in a festive mood. Carnivals, festivals, processions in national costumes, interesting thematic performances, sumptuous dinners with favorite dishes - this is how the Welsh celebrate the most important national holiday, Saint David's Day.

Saint David

Saint David (or David, depending on the translation) has been considered the patron saint of Wales for about a millennium and a half. This is not a legendary, but a very real religious figure, who was born in the southwest of the country in the 6th century AD. Since then, his name has acquired many legendary details: the pious Welsh was credited with miracles of healing and resurrection from the dead, as well as the ability to do without food, eating only water.

Some say that the father of the saint was ruler of Powys. Others - that King Arthur himself was related to the prophet, who, according to legend, was the uncle of his mother Nonna. Even 30 years before the birth of David in Wales, the appearance of a great saint was expected, since such a sign was the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. And when the boy was born, strong lightning split the rock on the coast, emphasizing his greatness.

It is well known that Saint David was bishop of the city of Menevia and fought against the heresy of Pelagianism, wandering throughout the country with sermons. During his life, he founded about a dozen monasteries in Wales, urging the monks to lead a particularly strict lifestyle of hard work and silence. In his homeland, the prophet founded a cathedral and became its rector. In the 12th century, a new cathedral was built in its place, which has survived to this day. And Menevia was named St. Davids in honor of the saint.

March 1 Day of Saint David's death. It is said that he knew about her approach and carefully prepared. This saint had a huge impact on the spread of Christianity in Wales. During the following centuries after his death, the Cathedral of St. David in Menevia was equated in holiness with Rome. Dozens of churches in Wales are named after the prophet. Not surprisingly, Saint David came to be regarded as the patron saint of this country.

Patron's Day of Wales

Until the 18th century, March 1 was a purely religious holiday. Gradually, it acquired national significance and became secular, and its importance and popularity increased. Today, March 1, commemoration parades are held across the country with the participation of soldiers of the Royal Welsh Regiment. Concerts and street festivities are arranged. On this day, children wear traditional clothes and sing in church choirs. For a gala dinner, pies and the national lamb dish Cawl Cennin are prepared.

The main symbols of the Day of the patron saint of Wales - leek and dove, which are based on the beautiful legends of St. David. According to one of them, the saint helped the Welsh in the battle with the Saxons, advising them to attach a leek to their clothes in order to distinguish their own from their enemies. The advice proved effective and the Welsh were victorious. The second legend says that during one of the sermons, the ground under St. David rose so that everyone could hear him, and a white dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, sat on his shoulder. Therefore, on March 1, the streets and houses in Wales are decorated with images of the prophet with a dove on his shoulder, and the Welsh fasten them to clothes or hats. leek.

March 1 festivities take place throughout Wales, but the largest parade can be seen in its capital - Cardiff. And if you are in the UK on this day, be sure to visit Wales, you will not regret it.

Saint David's Day - the patron saint of Wales - is one of the important holidays for the people of Wales and is celebrated as a patriotic and cultural festival of Wales all over the world. Not only the Welsh will honor the saint, but also residents of other countries whose ancestors lived in Wales: In New York, the Empire State Building will be illuminated in green, red and white.

Many prophets said that at the birth of St. David, many miracles were predicted for him. March 1 is the day David died. Saint David's Day has been celebrated as a religious festival in the Protestant Reformation since the 16th century. In the 18th century, this day became the national festival of Wales and remains so to this day.

Information about St. David, a church leader of the second half of the 6th century, has come down to our days from the work of a certain Rigifark, who lived at the end of the 11th century. According to legend, 30 years before David was born, an angel descended to Saint Patrick and told him that a great saint would be born in Wales.

Saint David's father was a prince named Sand. Mother, whose name was Non, also had noble roots. There is a version that she was the niece of King Arthur. Sand asked for the hand of Non, he was refused, but he could not restrain his attraction to the girl. According to legend, when the boy was born, lightning pierced the sky and broke the rock in half.

A monk named Peacock was Saint David's teacher. The monk was blind. David healed the monk by overshadowing him with the sign of the cross. Peacock blessed David to preach the Christian faith in Britain, to enlighten the ancient Celts. It is believed that over the years of wandering David founded 12 monasteries. Saint David encouraged the monks to lead a modest life and work hard.

The fame of Saint David during his lifetime spread throughout Britain. His hut became a place of pilgrimage. One of the most famous legends about Saint David tells that during his speech to the flock, the ground under his feet rose, forming a hill. In 640, a battle took place between the Welsh, led by King Cadwallader of Wales, and the Saxons, during which Saint David suggested that the Welsh attach leeks to their hats to distinguish themselves from their enemies. The battle was won.

Saint David in 1120 was canonized by the Roman Church as a high priest who converted the Celtic tribes to Christianity, and the leek became the emblem of the glory of Wales.

On this day, images of St. David with a dove on his shoulder, a symbol of the holy spirit, are everywhere visible. Many Welsh people attach national symbols, such as narcissus or leeks, to their clothes. In Cardiff, the capital of Wales, festive events take place, and on the tables in every Welsh family there is a traditional leek soup - Cawl Cennin. Children come to school on this day dressed in national costumes. And teenagers usually arrange choral singing competitions.

Saint David's Day is a holiday celebrated on 1 March in Wales. Saint David of Wales is considered the patron saint of Wales, the date March 1 is associated with the death of David on this day in 589. This date was declared a day of national celebration in Wales in the 18th century.

The meaning of the holiday

David was born in southwest Wales - traditionally it is believed that the place of his birth was Henwyniv near Aberairon (now the county of Ceredigion). It is known that he was the bishop of Menevia (Menopiah), a city in southwest Wales (now called by his name - St. Davids, in Welsh - Tyddewi, "house of David"), took part in the cathedral in Llandevi Brevy, where the hierarchs The British Church fought the heresy of Pelagianism.

According to the life of Rigivarch, the orders that David established in the monasteries were very strict. The monks worked hard, it was allowed to talk only when saying prayers or when absolutely necessary, it was forbidden to use animals in work: the monks dragged the plows themselves, without ceasing to pray. The diet was extremely poor - vegetables, bread and water. David himself drank only water, hence his nickname Aquaticus.

The most famous miracle attributed to Saint David is related to the story that took place at the cathedral at Llandevi Brevi: when he spoke his speech against the Pelagians, the ground on which he stood rose and formed a small hill for everyone to hear his sermon. At the same time, a dove sat on David's shoulder - a sign of the Holy Spirit. Allegedly, it was after this council that David became the archbishop of all Wales.

In 2003, in the United States, Saint David's Day was officially recognized as the national day of the Welsh and on March 1, the Empire State Building was lit in the national colors of the Welsh: red, green and white. It is a celebration of Welsh society throughout the world.

Celebration and traditions

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Bishop and educator David of Menevia, aka Saint David of Wales, is the patron saint of Wales. He is considered a saint in the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox churches. March 1 is Saint David's Day.
According to legend, 30 years before the birth of David, an angel descended to St. Patrick and told him that the birth of a great saint was coming in Wales. The date of David's birth is not exactly known (from 462 to 512), but it is believed that he was born in southwestern Wales, near Aberairon, in the town of Henviniv (now this is the county of Ceredigion). But in Pembrokeshire they hold a different opinion, considering the birthplace of the future St. Chapel Non near modern St. Davids.
According to Welsh sources, Saint David's father was King St., but this was probably caused by a misreading of the Latin manuscript: in fact, it was written "sanctus rex ceredigion" - "the holy king of Ceredigion", and in the translation it turned out to be "Saint king of Ceredigion". Saint Nonna is considered his mother.(in Welsh her name is Non), Middle Breton records have preserved her life. There is even a version that she was the niece of King Arthur. According to legend, the Saint wanted to take Nonna as his wife, but was refused. However, his attraction to her was so strong that he raped her, as a result of which David was conceived. Heartbroken, Nonna went to the wild coast to give birth there alone. The pain from the contractions was so strong that traces of her nails are still visible on the rock. After the birth of the child, lightning flashed in the sky and split this rock in half.
Very little is known about the life of Saint David himself. His teacher was the blind monk Peacock. But David, having overshadowed him with the sign of the cross, restored his sight. For this, the monk blessed the student to enlighten the Celts and preach Christianity in Britain. Over the years of wandering, David founded a dozen monasteries. He encouraged the monks to work hard and lead a modest life. One day they wanted to poison him in one of the monasteries, but Saint Skutin came specially from Ireland to warn David about this. He just crossed the bread, and it became safe.
Even during the life of David, his fame spread throughout the island. A pilgrimage began to his hut, and four such visits were equal to a trip to Jerusalem and two trips to Rome.
David established very strict rules in the monasteries: the monks had to work very hard, it was possible to speak only in case of emergency, except for saying prayers. It was impossible to exploit the labor of animals, so the monks themselves pulled the plow, without ceasing to pray. They had to eat only bread, vegetables and drink water. And the saint himself only drank water.
Saint David is credited with a miracle that happened at Llandevi-Brevi during the synod. He spoke there against the Pelagians, and in order to be heard better, the earth swelled under him, formed a hill and lifted the saint above the listeners. Immediately, a dove sat on his shoulder, meaning the Holy Spirit. After that memorial synod, David was elected Archbishop of Wales.
When in 640 a battle took place between the Saxons and the king of Wales, Cadwallader, Saint David appeared before the Welsh and advised the soldiers to attach leek stalks to their headdresses in order to distinguish themselves from the enemy. The Welsh won that battle.

The legend says that David died on March 1 and it was Tuesday, this corresponds to the year 589. In 1120 he was canonized by the Catholic Church for dedicating his life to converting to Christianity. On Saint David's Day, images of him with a dove on his shoulder are everywhere visible. Many Welsh people still attach ancient national symbols - a leek or a narcissus - to their clothes on a holiday. Various festive events are organized in Cardiff. In every Welsh family, Cawl Cennin, a leek soup, certainly appears on the table on this day. On this day, children come to school in national costumes, and young men participate in choral singing competitions.
Most of the information about Saint David came to us not from sources from the period of his life, but from later ones. Such, for example, is the “Life of David” written around the 11th century by the monk Rigivarch.

Own original traditions and customs. Many holidays in Wales are very similar to English ones, but there are original and special ones among them.

Let's look at the calendar

Among the traditional holidays in the Old World in Wales, there are their own - very colorful, the traditions of which originate in the distant past:

• Guy Fawkes Night is held annually on the fifth night after Halloween. It was then in 1605 that the Gunpowder Plot failed, the organizers of which tried to set fire to the Palace of Westminster and kill the king. In honor of the happy salvation, the monarch ordered to celebrate this day, and the main sign of the holiday is bonfires on which the effigies of the rebels are burned.
• Armistice Day first appeared on the Welsh holiday calendar, and at the same time, and, in 1918. Since then, boutonnieres made of red poppies have been worn in these countries on November 11 as a tribute to the fallen in the First World War. The proceeds from the sale of boutonnieres are sent to help veterans of various wars.
• The day after Christmas in Wales is known as Boxing Day. It is an official holiday and is known as a good Christian tradition.
• Apple Day on October 21 is dedicated to fruits, the meaning of which is mentioned in the Bible. The program of the holiday includes numerous contests and tastings of dishes made from juicy fruits. The most famous competitions are held among masters of archery for apples, housewives demonstrate their ability to cook fruit pies, and gardeners stock up on seedlings at agricultural fairs.

Saint David

The enlightener and patron saint of Wales, Saint David, has his own holiday, celebrated annually on March 1st. Bishop David was born in the 5th or 6th century and was the great-nephew of King Arthur.
The Wales feast in honor of St. David has been around for three hundred years, and its main sign is parades and processions with the participation of soldiers of the Welsh regiment.
Residents of cities attach national symbols to their clothes - daffodils or leeks, and numerous concerts and theatrical performances are held in pubs.

About Celtic culture

The famous Eisteddfod festival takes place in August. All of Wales these days is a gigantic concert venue. The holiday is dedicated to Celtic culture - music and poetry, and about 150 thousand guests from all over the world take part in it every year.
The highlight of the Eisteddfod festival program is performances of bards with folk songs. In total, at least six thousand performers compete within the framework of each annual holiday. In addition to music, folk crafts, Celtic dances are presented here, books and products of local craftsmen are sold.
The classic Eisteddfod festival has become a role model, and in Wales, similar events are now held in schools for pupils, and regional events in different parts of the country for young people and students.