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Picture by Plaid
St. Davids Day is on 1 st March and, for me at least, its a time to contemplate why the Welsh culture isnt as celebrated in England as the Irish culture is.
In England, St. Patricks Day seems to be a much bigger event than St. Davids Day is and while you can find plenty of Irish theme pubs scattered around England I cant name a single Welsh theme pub.
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all great countries but I think its time that the Welsh are given more credit for all the contributions they have made to the Great British way of life. With this in mind, heres a list of a dozen great reasons to celebrate Wales!
1. The Welsh National Anthem
The Welsh national anthem is Hen Wlad fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers in English.) Its music was written by a Welsh man named James James (thats not a typo!) in 1856 he thought of the melody as he walked along the banks of the River Rhondda. Little did James James know that nine years later the song would become the first national anthem to be sung before the start of a sporting event it received a lung-busting airing before the Welsh rugby team beat a previously-unbeaten New Zealand team in a match later dubbed the game of the century.
I always picture a choir of sooty-faced Welsh miners singing in the valleys when I hear this rousing anthem!
2. Ivor the Engine
Many kids who grew up in the 1970s and early 1980 had their first exposure to the beautiful Welsh language by watching the animated TV programme Ivor the Engine. While England produced Thomas the Tank Engine, Wales had Ivor; a steam locomotive who came to life when he was steamed up each morning and who embarked on many adventures with characters such as Jones the Steam, Evans the Song and Idris the Dragon.
Where was the action set? The makers of the programme would only mysteriously specify that the location in the cartoon was the top left hand corner of Wales.
3. Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomass mother Florence wasnt keen on naming her son Dylan. The correct Welsh pronuniciaton of the word is dullan and she was concerned that people would nickname him dull one. She neednt have worried her son became a fantastic poet and writer whose lyrical flair and hard-living lifestyle meant he could never be called dull. His 1954 radio Under Milk Wood, which is set in an imaginary Welsh village, captures the rhythms of Welsh speech (and life) in a way which has entranced generations of listeners.
4. The Welsh Dragon
Winston Churchill wasnt keen on the red dragon design sported on the Welsh flag; in 1953 cabinet minutes he refers to it as an odious design, expressing nothing but spite, malice, ill-will and monstrosity. However, most people disagree having a fire-breathing dragon as a countrys symbol seems an admirably bold display of national pride.
5. Gavin & Stacey
You wouldnt mess with the Welsh dragon and you wouldnt mess with Nessa from the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. Brought to life by writer/actress Ruth Jones, Nessa introduced Welsh words and phrases such as Tidy and Whats occurring? to the wider world. While characters such as Nessa, Uncle Bryn and Dick Powell highlighted the inventiveness of the Welsh language, the locations used in the series showcased the cosy charm of seaside Barry Island making the place an unlikely tourist destination for fans of the show.
6. Welsh rugby
Wales lit up the rugby world between 1969 and 1980 dominating the Five Nations championship (as it was called then) and playing beautiful, flowing rugby in the process. The 1971 side was, arguably, considered the greatest Welsh team of all time and that years tense victory over Scotland was considered the greatest game. John Taylors last-minute penalty brought victory in the game and has been dubbed the greatest conversion since St. Paul.
The current Welsh side have a lot to do to try and match the achievements of 70s rugby gods such as Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams but they have made a start reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2012.
Wales has also produced some fantastic footballers; including wing wizards Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale.
7. Tom Jones
The Welsh Elvis wowed the world in the 1960s as his powerful voice belted out hits such as Its Not Unusual and Whats Up Pussycat? His style might have evolved to embrace rock, soul and techno (yes, really!) but he has never lost his Welsh accent or forgotten the green, green grass of home.
8. Catherine Zeta Jones
Another superb Welsh export is Catherine Zeta Jones a Swansea-born actress who is so much more than just Mrs Michael Douglas. After starring in the TV show The Darling Buds of May, Zeta-Jones landed leading roles in movies like The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, Chicago and Traffic.
Other famous Welsh actors to have graced the stage and the silver screen include Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Rhys Ifans stars whose lifestyles emphasise the large Welsh appetite for life and love.
9. How Green Was My Valley
This classic 1939 book by Richard Llewellyn tells the story of the Morgans; a close-knit Welsh family whose relationships fall apart as life in the mining community they live in changes.
The book was made into a 1941 film by American director John Ford and won ten Academy Awards. Unfortunately, the adaption received criticism because many of the actors had Irish accents and one key scene featured an Irish jig instead of a Welsh one. Director Ford lashed out at Welsh critics of the films Irishness by saying: Its a Celtic country, isnt it?
10. The Prince of Wales
He isnt Welsh and the Welsh people never asked him to be their prince but the Welsh must receive some credit for accepting Charles Windsor. And Caernarvon Castle did look splendid during the 1969 investiture ceremony.
11. Welsh pop bands
Welsh pop bands struggled to gain a share of the spotlight during the eras of Merseybeat, punk, ska and heavy metal. However, the 1990s saw some great tunes and bands emerging from the valleys. The pop world would surely have been a poorer place without the likes of The Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Catatonia, The Super Furry Animals and Gorkys Zygotic Mynci.
12. The humble leek
In Shakespeares Henry V, Henry explains to Fluellen that he is wearing a leek for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
The leek, along with the daffodil, was one of the national emblems of Wales long before Shakespeares time and will be for as long as Land of My Fathers is sung with pride.
What other country is bold and unique enough to celebrate its identity by having a vegetable as a national symbol?
Its just one of the many reasons why you should raise a glass and say a toast to this passionate nation on March 1 st !
This is a guest post by James Christie. James writes for kids craft company Baker Ross who have a great range of St. Davids Day craft supplies .
