Celebrate Welsh food on St. David’s Day

March 1 is St. David’s Day, which celebrates the 6th century patron saint of Wales. This holiday may not have the strongest food tradition, but it does offer an opportunity to explore Welsh food. Traditional festivities for the day, also known as The Feast of St. David, include wearing daffodils and leeks, both symbols of Wales. The leek is associated with the famously ascetic saint because it is thought to be virtuous and possess healing properties.

Leeks also acquired magical attributes over the centuries – people believed that girls who slept with a leek under their pillow on St. David’s Day would dream of their future husband. Other celebratory activities involve eating traditional Welsh food including cawl and Welsh rarebit, and wearing traditional Welsh clothing. Cardiff and other cities also feature parades in the saint’s honor.

If you do not already have a favorite Welsh recipe to make for St. David’s Day, BBC Good Food offers a trove of Welsh recipes that you can try, as does Delicious Magazine (UK). You can also browse Welsh recipes in the EYB Library, including the Rarebit pictured above from The Guardian Feast Supplement.