The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has called for people to “come together and celebrate Wales” in his St David’s Day address.
In his remarks, Mr Drakeford also made reference to Wales being a “Nation of sanctuary”, having welcomed more than 6,400 refugees from Ukraine in the year since the start of the war there.
He also referenced his vision for a “net zero Wales” and spoke fondly of the country’s unique language – Cymraeg (Welsh).
The Welsh Conservatives are calling on the Welsh government to do more to promote the use of the Welsh language in every day situations after the results of the Census showed a decrease of nearly 24,000 speakers between 2011 and 2021.
Sky News has asked the Welsh government for a response to the opposition’s call.
Events are taking place in schools and communities across Wales on Wednesday, including parades, concerts and Eisteddfodau (festivals of song and arts which also include competitions).
Other St David’s Day traditions include baking bara brith and Welsh cakes, and boiling cawl – a broth-like dish which includes vegetables and, generally, Welsh lamb.
To celebrate St David’s Day, Cadw, the body responsible for the upkeep of many of Wales’ historical buildings, has announced free entry to sites including Raglan and Beaumaris Castles for the day.
There have been calls for St David’s Day to be made a bank holiday, with former Wales Secretary Sir Robert Buckland having also added his voice to those calls.
You may even spot a specially-commissioned logo for Google on Wednesday as the search engine celebrates St David’s Day.
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But St David is not just a historic, mythical figure – his words and message are as relevant as ever to many who celebrate St David’s Day.
“Gwnewch y pethau bychain” which literally means “Do the little things”, a message which people in Wales and beyond will take to their hearts as they celebrate once again their patron saint.