Finally, it’s March and the daffodils are out! I love the beginning of March because there is a hint of lighter days and (slightly) warmer weather and the first day of spring comes later in the month.
Why a daffodil or a leek?
1 March is the national day of the Welsh patron saint, St David, and a chance to wear either a daffodil or leek. Daffodils are usually out around this time so make an apt symbol. The tradition of wearing a leek is alleged to have begun when a unit of Welsh soldiers distinguished themselves from enemy English soldiers by wearing leeks.
Who was St David?
The feast of St David dates back to 1120 AD, when David, a Celtic monk born towards the end of the fifth century, was canonised by Pope Callactus II. As Archbishop of Wales, David spread the word of Christianity across Wales and Brittany. His Saint’s Day is always observed on 1 March, as tradition has it that he died on that day in 589 AD, although it was not recognised as the national day of Wales until the 18th century.
Is it a public holiday?
In 2000, the National Assembly for Wales voted to make St David’s Day a public holiday, but moves to make it a bank holiday have been rejected so far by the UK government. However, this year Gwynedd Council voted to make the patron saint’s day a bank holiday within its own borders.
Every year, parades are held across Wales to commemorate St David’s Day and celebrate Welsh heritage and culture, with the largest one in Cardiff. No doubt, the crowd will join together in a rousing rendition of the national anthem, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’. There are processions planned in several other towns including Aberystwyth, Wrexham, Carmarthen, Lampeter and Colwyn Bay.
What to eat on St David’s Day
The traditional meal on St David’s Day is ‘cawl’, a soup made from leeks, potatoes and Welsh lamb or beef, followed by homemade Welsh cakes.
Perhaps the most famous of all Welsh baking recipes is Bara Brith or ‘Os gwelwch yn dda’ which translates as ‘speckled bread’. My Uncle, born in 1914 in Yorkshire, retired to North Wales and spent the last 20 or so years of his life learning Welsh and exploring the beautiful scenery. He always made several loaves of Bara Brith whenever we went to stay. The recipe was given to him by a Welsh neighbour, though there are many versions. It’s a sort of scrumptious sticky teabread made with dried fruit and soaked in black tea overnight.
Here’s Uncle Albert’s recipe:
What you need to make Bara Brith
450g/1lb dried fruit
(mixed sultanas, currants, raisins, mixed peel)
75g/3oz soft brown sugar
300ml/½ pint black tea
1 egg, beaten
450g/1lb self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
How to bake
Soak the dried fruit and sugar in the tea and leave overnight. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Mark 3. Line a 900g/2lb or 2 smaller 450g/1lb loaf tins with baking or greaseproof paper. Add the beaten egg, flour and mixed spice into the fruit mixture and mix well. Put the mixture into the loaf tin(s) and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake(s) comes out clean. Once it’s baked, allow to cool, slice and spread with (Welsh) butter.
Enjoy the national cake of Wales with a slice of Bara Brith. I’m still practising but here’s how to say it: Mwynhewch eich bwyd!
And of course, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus (Happy St David’s Day).
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life, her passion for baking and recipes HERE and head over to Instagram @grandmaabson to see Meryl baking with her grandchildren.
