Happy St David’s Day – How to spend it well

As we celebrate Wales during St David’s Day, we also say a big Happy Birthday to us as Snowdonia 360 officially turns two!

This year marks yet more reason to celebrate as we leave lockdown behind us and continue to welcome more and more visitors to North Wales for holidays and day trips. Our Snowdonia360 map is here to help you build the best possible trip to North Wales, taking in the sights, sounds, landscapes, heritage, and amazing attractions that suit the tastes of you and your fellow travellers.

We are incredibly proud of our heritage and our culture here in Wales and we’d love to share some of this with you on this special day. So, in the spirit of the Patron Saint of Wales – Dewi Sant (Welsh for St David) – let’s get you ready for your ultimate Welsh trip along the Snowdonia360 starting with some Welsh traditions.

Firstly, you can’t celebrate St David’s Day without the classic Welsh cake. We’ve dug out the best recipe around for our glorious Welsh cakes (we found this one from VisitWales) –

Welsh cakes – This recipe makes 10-12 cakes | Prep takes roughly 10 minutes  | And they only need 4-5 minutes each to cook

Ingredients

8 oz self-rising flour

2oz castor sugar

4oz margarine or butter

1 or 2 handfuls of sultanas

1 or 2 free-range eggs depending on the mixture

Now, how to make them- 

01 Sieve flour into bowl, then add margarine or butter, rub in finely together.

02 Add sugar and sultanas and mix.

03 Add 1 egg and mix. The consistency needs to be bound together, so if too dry add another egg.

04 Roll out on a floured board, to about a quarter inch thick.

05 Cut using a 2 inch (approx.) cutter, then cook on a greased pan, or bake stone, on a medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes each side.

06 The exact cooking length will depend on what you are cooking your Welsh cakes on, but keep a close eye – too short a period and they won’t be cooked in middle and cooked for too long and they will be dry. When touched during cooking they should feel springy, but not wet to the touch (no mixture should come out of the middle).

07 Once cooked dust with castor sugar and enjoy.

(This recipe is © Kathryn Gunter)

Now to enjoy your home cooked baking in true St David’s style, what is locally known as ‘te bach’ (a small tea), traditionally a pot of tea served with bara brith (our famous welsh fruited bread) and cacen gri (welsh cake) – you will find ample cafes, local shops, and restaurants across the Snowdonia 360 serving these delicious treats all year round, not just on St Davids Day.

Fancy something savoury?

We also enjoy a warm bowl of ‘cawl’ or ‘lobsgows’, this is a Welsh lamb stew made with leeks and potatoes, the ultimate comfort food when served with (or in!) a warm bread roll.

Pass the Mic 

Typically, we also celebrate St David’s Day by belting out some traditional Welsh songs such as ‘Sosban Fach’, ‘Calon Lan’ and the famous national anthem ‘Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’.

Welsh Words

Lastly, if you’re not familiar with the Welsh language, a few exchanges with locals using their original dialect will go a long way!

Why not try the following while you’re out and about on the Snowdonia360 route:

Diolch / Thank you

Bore Da / Good morning

Prynhawn Da / Good afternoon

Os Gwelwch Yn Dda / Please

Hwyl Fawr / Goodbye

If you embrace these traditions on your trip along the Snowdonia360, with a few Welsh words in hand, this will guarantee you a real trip into the heritage and culture of Wales.

Sian Pritchard of Snowdonia 360 said: “St David’s Day 2022 really does feel like a great reason to celebrate. Last year saw us all in the midst of lockdown, celebrating Wales and ourselves under the restraints of the pandemic alongside the rest of the country.

“Whilst we believe that every day is a great day to recognise the wonders of Wales, St David’s day helps us officially mark our love for this fantastic country.”