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01 Mar 09 - 09:48 AM (#2578525) Subject: BS: St David's day From: goatfell As A fellow celt I liked to wish my fellow Celts from Wales a happy St David day I'm from Scotland |
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01 Mar 09 - 09:50 AM (#2578527) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: gnu Indeed! No so long ago, I found out that my Irish forefathers may have had Welsh forefathers. And my mother always blamed the Irish for her troubles! Tsk tsk. |
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01 Mar 09 - 09:56 AM (#2578531) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: TheSnail One of my favourite quotes from a book on the Dark Ages is - "The Scots (from Ireland) had recently invaded Wales." |
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02 Mar 09 - 04:47 AM (#2579091) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Liz the Squeak But weren't half the Irish in Dublin, from Denmark? Bora da! LTS |
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02 Mar 09 - 09:43 AM (#2579230) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Stu I missed this thread yesterday, but belated happy St David's day from me, born of a Welsh mother with ancestors from the edge of the Cambrian Mountains! Twll dy din di! SFJ |
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02 Mar 09 - 11:31 AM (#2579312) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Acorn4 When the early Anglo-Saxons invaded, the "Welsh" were in what became England (Angle-land) -thus we get a reference to the chief Ella who "slew many of the Welsh" in Sussex. The word meant foreigner in the Germanic tongues of the time. The Welsh have the honour of being the ones who held out for the old Celtic Christianity when even the Irish who originated it had gone over to the Roman Catholic religion. Some very odd situations arose like, for instance, the pagan King of Mercia, Penda, allying with the Welsh Christian Cadwallon against the Christian Kings of Northumbria. |
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02 Mar 09 - 11:52 AM (#2579334) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: frogprince Never heard of St. David's day here on the west side of the pond; what was the gent sainted for? What sort of customary celebration or observation occurs? |
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02 Mar 09 - 12:08 PM (#2579355) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: wysiwyg Yes, telltelltell! ~S~ |
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02 Mar 09 - 12:25 PM (#2579374) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Rapparee On behalf of my Viking ancestors I want to thank the Welsh, the Irish, the Scots and the English for their contributions to our family's wealth and prosperity. It's all gone now, but thank nevertheless. |
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02 Mar 09 - 12:28 PM (#2579379) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Anne Lister As to who St David was and what he did, it's probably best to refer you simply to Wikipedia or Google rather than cut and paste huge amounts of information. Most importantly for this thread (and the other, above the line), St David is the patron saint of Wales. So for St David's Day it's a great chance to celebrate Wales and the Welsh. When I was at school we had an Eisteddfod which lasted an afternoon and the following morning and then had a half day holiday after that - the Eisteddfod included competitions for all school subjects but chiefly of course poetry and music. These days there isn't a half day holiday (see the other thread for Dr Price's point of view, which I agree with!) but there are all sorts of other events. There's a great parade in Cardiff, there are concerts and parties, we had a day on Saturday handing out daffodils, Welsh cakes, sweets, stories and songs in the local market and a day on Sunday at the leisure centre with face painting, dancing, a parade, singing ....lots of stuff. People wear daffodils or leeks as corsages, dress in Welsh costume if they feel so inclined (or just put on a rugby shirt) and have a good time. Come to Wales! Find out at first hand! Anne |
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02 Mar 09 - 06:32 PM (#2579770) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Acorn4 Like all the early saints he is associated with various miracles. The best of these was when he was addressing a large crowd, and the people at the back couldn't hear. A hillock spontaneously sprung up under his feet thus elevating him to a prominent position where all could hear. If you made a film about his life, the special effects department would have a field day with that one. |
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02 Mar 09 - 09:05 PM (#2579881) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: Rapparee I heard my old Army buddy Hank the Five make a great speech about St. David's day a few years back. |
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03 Mar 09 - 04:32 AM (#2580067) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: sian, west wales He was one of only 4 British saints who were actually native to the areas they represent, apparently. It's said to be likely that Patrick spent some time training at Dewi's monastery at Glyn Rhosyn before going to Ireland; 3 pilgrimages to St David's which is now on the site of Glyn Rhosyn is equal to one to Rome. He led a simple life and was known as 'Dewi Ddyfrwr' (Dewi of the Water); this could be because he only drank water (not part of the current celebrations) or he was an aesthete who plunged bodily into ice cold mountain streams as part of his religious discipline (again, only tenuously connected with falling into the local river after too enthusiastic celebration on the day.) What I like best are his final words: "Frodyr a chwiorydd, byddwch lawen a gwnewch y pethau bychain a welsoch ac a glywsoch gennyf fi." ("Brothers and Sisters, be joyful and do the little things that you have seen and heard from me.") sian |
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03 Mar 09 - 10:10 AM (#2580252) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: GUEST,leeneia Here's the URL for a nice Welsh-music site: http://www.tylwythteg.com/music/music.html I believe I'll download a nice tune from it and play it with my friends this Sunday - a belated St David's observation. ============= It would be doing the world a great favor if somebody would move St David's Day and St Patrick's Day from March to a warmer, pleasanter, month. I would love to go to a parade in Cardiff, but not in March. 'They' can do it the same time they move Halloween from Oct 31 to Sept 31. |
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04 Mar 09 - 05:30 AM (#2580908) Subject: RE: BS: St David's day From: HuwG I was unfortunately ill on Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant this year, so much disgruntled. Usually, I hold a parade of one in my corner of the North west (of England), but had to cry off this year. Will perform "Cyfri'r geifr" at next regular Friday session on request. |