St David’s Day: Meaning of “dydd gwyl dewi hapus” – and how to pronounce it correctly!

The first day of March 2021 marks St. David’s Day 2021. If you hear people saying “dydd gwyl dewi hapus” to you, don’t be alarmed if you’re unsure of the meaning. We’ve got you covered!

2021 is flying by and we’re already in March. Everyone flooded social media about their satisfaction when they realised that February perfectly began on a Monday and ended on a Sunday – seemed like it was only a couple days ago.

Now that is it March, the first day marks St. David’s Day, which is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. In 589 AD, this was his day of death.

If you’re Welsh friends suddenly say “dydd gwyl dewi hapus” and you’re confused, read on to find out what it means.

Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images What is the meaning of “Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus”?

“Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus” means Happy St. David’s Day! There you go, a new fact for a Monday morning.

In Welsh, the phrase is arranged backwards. To break it down, “dydd” means day, “gŵyl” is festival, “Dewi” is David and “hapus” means happy.

Now, go out and show off what you just learnt. But if you’re going to say it to your Welsh friends, don’t butcher it.

It is pronounced as deeth goyle De-wi hap-is.

Just in case that did not make sense, check out the video below:

How to celebrate St. David’s Day

Normally, a national parade is held in the country’s capital, Cardiff, every year, along with concerts and eisteddfodau. An eisteddfodau is a Welsh festival of music, culture and art.

Children go to school dressed in their traditional Welsh costumes, accompanying the outfit with a yellow daffodil pin, the national flower.

However, due to the circumstances, events are taking place online. The official Wales tourism site has been holding a 72-hour digital festival since Friday 26 February. The event will finish at 12am Monday 1 March.

Over the weekend, the livestream has been holding multiple yoga and cooking sessions and many music and art performances. There have also been discussions about Welsh contributions in the tech sector and in sustainability efforts, to name a few.

If you want to join, check this link for the entire schedule.

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