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Wales/Cymru: history, culture, music

Welsh history

St David, the patron saint of Wales, and the Welsh National Day

The first of March is a recognised as a National Day throughout Wales. It is also a day of celebration for Welsh communities throughout the world and the Welsh flag with Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon) is proudly raised. The date is tradionally seen as the date that Saint David died in 589. David was the son of the Prince of Powys and he went on to found a monastery on the site where Saint David's Cathedral now stands in the City of St David's/Tyddewi in Pembrokeshire, Wales. He was an important saint throughout the Celtic world and a number of miracles are attributed to him. His shrine in St David's was a significant site of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.

Find out more about Welsh historical sites in this video produced for Gwynedd Council:

Welsh music

The famous Welsh song "Myfanwy" sung by villagers in the film "How Green Was My Valley":



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