Wherever you are in the world, join us and celebrate our national day. No previous knowledge of Welshness is required! Choose a random act and share it on social media tagging #RandomActsofWelshness and @Walesdotcom
Feeling extra Welsh? How many acts can you do and share in 24 hours?
Other countries make do with stripes, but we have an epic red dragon on our flag. Wave it with pride, wherever you are. It’s a familiar sight everywhere in Wales, but what’s the story of the Welsh dragon? We have some answers for your questions on the legend of the Welsh Dragon.
Yes, our national vegetable is also a cool fashion accessory. Pin it to your hat or jumper to celebrate our saint. There are lots of stories to explain why Wales is linked with the leek. The 7th century king of Gwynedd, Cadwaladr, is said to have ordered his men into battle wearing them for identification purposes, but whatever the origins, we grow plenty of them and they taste lovely.
Like a cuddle, but so much better. A cwtsh is a safe place — warm, caring, reassuring. Pronounced ‘kutch’, to rhyme with ‘butch’, a cwtsh means so much to us Welsh.
No, seriously, this is the ultimate sign of cariad (love) in Wales. We’ve been carefully carving our love spoons for centuries — each one with a unique message. The tradition of a male admirer crafting a love spoon for a young woman indicated to the woman’s family that he was skilled. Each specific carving on the spoon is symbolic, from the eternal love of the Celtic knot, to the twisted stem indicating togetherness. Visit Wales’ oldest love spoon at St Fagans, or fall in love with Ceini Spiller’s modern take on the Welsh love spoon.
Learn some Welsh. Start a Duolingo streak, chat with friends or take a course with learnwelsh.cymru. There are lots of ways to practice your Cymraeg. Did you know that Welsh is the fastest growing language in the UK on Duolingo? There are other great apps out there too such as Say Something in Welsh. Or why not combine your learning with a holiday and take a residential course at the picturesque Nant Gwrtheyrn Welsh centre? Buddy up with a Cymraeg speaker and get your practice in over a paned.
After all, it's his day. Dewi, Dafydd or Dai also count, as does Non (in celebration of St David's remarkable mam). Anyone who shares a name with a saint deserves a pint, and with over 80 breweries, Wales has plenty of Welsh Beers and Ales to choose from. What are you having, David? A pint of Monty’s, a can of Tiny Rebel’s Cwrw Cwtsh or a non-alcoholic Drop Bear Beer? And for Non, perhaps some Penderyn whisky or Dyfi Gin? A glass of Welsh wine from Llaethlliw Vineyard or Montgomery Vineyard for Dafydd? (It would probably have been a pint of water for the original David.) Choose a cosy Welsh pub for your tipple. Iechyd da!
Daffodils ideally. It’s our national flower and we love giving them to people on our national day. The origins of the national flower of Wales appears to be as an attractive interloper, introduced during the 19th century, as a replacement for the humble leek. David Lloyd George was a public advocate of the Daff and its appearance in early spring as a symbol of nature’s optimism neatly coincides with St David’s Day on March 1.
Cool knitwear, trendy socks and jeans. Us Welsh can be a stylish lot! From Mabli Knits carthen socks to the ‘hapus’ jumpers from Y Lein - there's a Welsh item to add colour to every wardrobe. For the little ones, there are cozy sweaters from Clyd or fun fashion from Silibili.
Boogie to Bassey, Twirl to Tom Jones or mosh to the Manics. Pick an epic Welsh tune and dance it out. There's a Welsh tune for every mood and every one and here’s some Spotify miwsig playlists for you to enjoy dancing to. Or for fresh new tunes check out the Creative Wales Playlist which is updated monthly.
Our love for cheese here in Wales comes straight from the top. Our First Minister famously loves his Caerphilly and there are loads of amazing Welsh cheeses for you to try.
One tiny tree at a time, we can make Wales and the world that little bit greener - and that’s what we’re doing in Wales as we plant a tree for every household and create our National Forest.
Find out more about the National Forest for Wales.
Our 'Picau ar y maen' (Which translates as 'cakes on the stone' as they were originally cooked on a heated bakestone). Keep a close eye when cooking these little beauties - too short a period and they won’t be cooked in the middle and cooked for too long and they will be dry. Give it a go following this traditional recipe or pick up some cheese and leek flavoured cakes from Mamgu Welshcakes, chocolate orange from Fabulous Welshcakes or jam and cream from Bakestones.
Our history has left a landscape scattered with Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and castles from Medieval Welsh princes and English kings. With over 600 castles, wherever you go in Wales you won't be too far from a historic site. If you don’t have time to visit every single one, here is a selection of castles to visit.
Wear a het Gymreig — our traditional Welsh hat — with style.
It's a tall hat traditionally worn by women as part of the Welsh national costume. The iconic hat has been re-imagined by Welsh artists such as Meinir Mathias and Seren Morgan Jones recently and is making a comeback. Or put on some modern Welsh headwear - the Urdd bobble hat or the iconic bucket hat.
The Welsh national anthem was written in 1856 by a father and son living in the South Wales town of Pontypridd, Evan and James James. Sing it solo, belt it out with friends or blast it on a random instrument. Our anthem is guaranteed to get the hairs standing on the back of your neck.
Learn the lyrics or try out the BSL version of our anthem.
We pin leeks on our clothes to mark St David's Day, but if you're feeling extra Welsh, you can eat it at the end of the day.
When you’re done with wearing yours, why not try it in a traditional Glamorgan Sausage? Or try Cenarth’s leek cheese or Dragon’s mature cheddar on Cradoc’s leek crackers… and of course Edwards of Conwy or Myrddin Heritage’s pork and leek sausages.
Centuries-old folk tunes, epic anthems, inspirational electronica, choirs, rockers, big beats and bigger voices - there's a Welsh tune for every mood and every one. Here’s some Spotify miwsig (music) playlists for you to enjoy:
Ymlacio is Welsh for relaxing. From Kizzy Crawford’s crafted melodies to Kelly Lee Owens' beautiful beats — here’s some of the most hypnotic songs for you to enjoy.
Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru - a selection of old classics and modern tunes to listen to on a road trip through the dramatic Welsh landscape.
O Gymru - from Catatonia to Candelas, Manics to Mellt - turn up the volume to hear the best from Wales.
Feed Me ‘Til I Want No More'! Cook someone a gwledd (a feast) of some amazing Welsh food and drink. From world-famous lamb to the most special cheese on toast you'll ever try, the taste of Wales is one to really savour. Fill your shopping list with Welsh produce from your local market, or the digital 'supermarket', Blas ar Fwyd and give one of these traditional Welsh recipes a go.
Famed for our folklore and mystic tales, the Welsh love a good story. Why not take the time to get stuck into one of the books that have been gathering dust on your shelves. Learn about the legendary names in Welsh folklore and history - who are they – and why do their names still set the pulse racing in Wales?
That’s half chips, half rice. Try a curry the Welsh way. If this sounds like a carb overload, don't worry, Wales offers plenty of other amazing alternatives.
Eat some seaweed — the Welshman's caviar according to Richard Burton. 'Bara Lawr' or laverbread is a traditional delicacy made from seaweed. We boil it for hours and eat it with bacon and cockles for breakfast. Grab some from The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company or Blas ar Fwyd.
Take the ultimate Welsh fitness challenge. Strava a dragon or run, cycle or walk the shape of Wales and get fit at the same time. Here’s adventurer and athlete Lowri Morgan’s favourite 5km trails in Wales to inspire.
Get together with five friends, a coin, and a table for this centuries old pub game. Americans may know it as Up Jenkins - a common surname in Wales. Two teams of three face each other across a table and with their hands under the table move the coin unseen between the three pairs of hands. The aim of the game is to identify which hand the coin is in.
Shwmae - pronounced 'shuh-my'. It’s how we greet each other! Say hello on the street, have a chat over the back fence, or pop round and introduce yourself with some Welshcakes.
Support independent Welsh businesses - the beating heart of the community. Enjoy the best Wales has to offer by choosing local businesses and buying Welsh produce. Here are a few gift ideas from artist Alis Knits to add to your shopping basket.
We're spoilt for choice when it comes to stunning seas. Take the plunge and start the spring with a patriotic morning swim. Join a local club such as the Dawn Stalkers in Penarth or The Bluetits in Aberystwyth or learn from experts before taking the plunge - we always recommend using a guide or swimming with a club in open water. Read more top tips on how to swim safely and how to stay safe on the Welsh coast.
Or give your moggy a makeover. After all, why should people have all the fun on St David's Day?
Make a Welsh-themed cocktail or mocktail. How about a tall glass of ‘Welsh Gold’ with a Penderyn whisky base? A ‘Hoffi Toffi’ cocktail made with Aberfalls & Halen Môn’s toffee liqueur? Perhaps a Barti rum-based ‘Bartholomew’s chest’? Iechyd da! (Cheers!)
In a taxi, bus, boat, train, plane or tuktuk… don’t forget to say ‘diolch’ (thank you) or 'cheers drive'. We're known to be a friendly bunch.
#30 Win a chair
We’re a land of bards. We compete in poetry competitions, and the winner gets a chair (well, it’s more like a throne really).
Try a homemade take on our unique celebration of Welsh arts, language and culture - the Eisteddfod. From poetry to prose, challenge your friends and family to see who deserves to be ordained to the Gorsedd of the Bards.
Our national flower, like you've never seen it before. Get arranging the ultimate bouquet of daffs to give to a loved one, or design your own daff by following the National Botanical Garden of Wales’ digital courses on how to Draw a Daffodil, Paint Hoop Petticoat Daffodils or Paint a Pheasant's Eye Daffodil.
Long before BabyBjörns were invented, we were using a siol fagu (a special Welsh woolen blanket) to keep our loved ones cozy whilst on the move. This early day baby sling allowed parents to nurse their tots while getting on with the chores of the day.
The Welsh hat (Het Gymreig) traditionally worn by women as part of Welsh national costume can now be made at home for your child’s favourite cuddly toy. It’ll also keep little ones entertained. Get crafting.
Don some traditional clogs and dance to some big Welsh beats. The skilful clogger can produce a variety of sounds with different parts of the wooden clog - it’s all about the beat. Think you're an advanced dancer? Take the candle, broom or hanky challenge.
Wish someone a Happy St David’s Day. Here’s a handy pronunciation guide if English is your native language: Deethe goo-eel Dew-ee happ-iss.
#36 Give a little
Small things can make a big difference, and inspired by FOR Cardiff’s Give DIFFerently campaign, why not give a donation to a local charity that’s close to your heart.
