Daily Measure

London St David's Day

London St David's Day

26 February, 2010
by: Spoonfed Holidays

Spoonfed is here to offer a quick round up of what this day means, what’s on, events, and how to celebrate Wales’ national day in London.

Welsh Flag, St David's Day

Wales – the homeland of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, and Katherine Jenkins. Its national festival is St David’s Day, celebrating its patron Saint on the day of his death, 1st March. Dewi Sant, as he’s known in Welsh, died at the height of the Welsh resistance to the Normans in the 6th century. St David’s Day symbols are the daffodil, which comes into season during March, and the leek, St David’s personal emblem. 

On and around this annual feast day that celebrates Welsh identity and culture, be prepared to see a flurry of red dragon flags, lashings of cawl (a traditional Welsh stew), and red cloaks with tall black chimney hats. Dydd gwyl dewi hapus!

Moreover , St David’s Day in our fair city offers a number of events to coax the true spirit out of London’s Welsh communities. Spoonfed has made a bid to get everyone off the sofa from watching Gavin and Stacey with our selection of the best patriotic events in London.

The London Welsh Centre will be alive with the voices of the valleys in a special St David’s Day performance by the Llandeilo Male Voice Choir. Wales’ cultural hub in London on Gray’s End Road hosts this choral treat and line dancing on Monday 1 March, from 7.30pm. Tickets are £20. For more information please see http://www.londonwelsh.org/ 

It’s been rumoured that the quirky indie Welsh songstress Cerys Mattews will be headlining the St David’s Day celebrations down at the Famous Three Kings pub on North End road. On 1 March the Fulham pub will host an entire day of Welshness. There will be Welsh food, a raffle and entry is free. This is also the chance for you to buy a round of native beverages at the bar for some famous Welsh rugby players.

Alternatively, Ali Mac’s jazz band will be serving up an evening of great music for Stormy Mondays at the Bulls Head in Barnes from 8pm.

An al fresco quiz night held at The Gun in the Docks just might be a fine way to celebrate St David’s day. Starting at 7pm, entry is £2 and the prize is a £100 bar tab.

However far and away the most appropriate way to see through this day of the daffodils would be to head on down to Balham for some good old line dancing fun.

Lastly don’t forget to get behind Wales at the Six Nations rugby match on Saturday 26th February; we’d all like to kick start St David’s Day celebrations on a high note please. 

Click here for more things to do on St David's Day
Click here for things to do on St Patrick's Day
Click here for more things to do in London

Latest From the Critics

Mac DeMarco, East End Live and Bleached: Editor's Choice - Live Music
Tuesday 21st MayMac DeMarco @ The Garage Mac DeMarco // "My Kind of Woman" by capturedtrac...

Who to see at Field Day 2013
Spring may only have allowed us to hang out in the park on a sparse number of occasions so far this ye...

Gittins, Newman & The Horne Section: Editor's Choice - Comedy
Monday 20th May-Saturday 25th MayBrian Gittins @ Soho TheatreWe were very excited when we heard that B...

Scoping Out London’s Coolest Historic Bingo Halls
London’s bingo halls were once a bustling part of many of the city’s communities, but as...

The Great Gatsby Hoopla: Musicals, Tweets and Video Games
Discerning purveyors of the London entertainment scene, if you'll allow me, I'll take you through some...