Here are six fun ways to spend St. David’s Day as a Bristol University student

With trendy art, an unsurpassable food scene, and endless clubs, we have a lot going for us here in Bristol. However, there’s one thing that we don’t do so well – St David’s Day… or so you may think!

For all the non-Welshies, St David’s Day (or Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) kicks off March celebrating Wales’ patron saint. Think St Patrick’s Day but Welsh. Having moved literally 30 minutes over the border, I was shocked with the lack of celebration for St David’s Day in Bristol considering Wales is in such close proximity.

So let me share with you how to turn what may be a normal day for you into a potentially new favourite holiday.

Cook yourself some real Welsh cakes

You would not believe the number of students I’ve spoken to who have never tried a Welsh cake, let alone a fresh one. As much as I would love to endorse Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s, unfortunately they don’t quite hit the mark with this culture-defining delicacy. The best Welsh cakes are hand made with friends, a thick coating of sugar, and llawer o gariad (a lot of love).

The recipe is much simpler than you may think, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll already have plenty of baking ingredients left over from trying to create overly elaborate bakes with housemates. This recipe by Mamgu Welsh cakes has only seven ingredients including the esteemed “mixed spice” that gives these cakes their distinctive warm flavour. There’s little room to dislike them, as Welsh recipes are customisable to any taste; may I recommend trying them with chocolate chips if you aren’t a fan of dried fruit?

Soak up Welsh sport

I can already hear my Welsh dad chanting some sort of patriotic mantra. Whether you consider it a blessing from St. David or an excuse to drink a slightly overpriced pint, this year St. David’s Day falls right in the middle of the Six Nations’ season.

I can’t say I’m the biggest expert on rugby, but if there’s one thing I miss about being back in Wales, it’s sport culture. If we were in Cardiff, there’d be plenty of flags, face paint, and bouncers on the doors of Wetherspoons. However, in Bristol, we need to make our own fun.

Only five days after St. David’s Day on Friday 6th March, Wales will play Ireland with a perfectly timed kick off at 8.10pm. After a long week of lectures (and baking Welsh cakes, I hope), a casual pub night with a side of camaraderie is the best way to unwind. Speaking of Wetherspoons, did you know they’ll be screening all the Six Nations games? (Minus the Commercial Rooms, unfortunately).

Considering we’ll escape being roped into purchasing some Welsh souvenir by Cardiff vendors, why not better spend that money on a drink at the pub and invest yourself in peak Welsh culture?

Catch the St. David’s Parade in Cardiff

Being a Bristol student, I feel like I hear every other day about my peers going on short trips to Bath, Exeter, even Weston-Super-Mare in the summer. When it comes to St David’s Day, however, there’s no better place to be than on Welsh soil. Sunday 1st March will see Cardiff transform into a patriotic explosion of music, singing, and performance.

Make sure you’re in the city for 12.30pm if you want to catch this annual tradition and experience first-hand the cultural pride that has led me to write this very article.

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I’m not being biased when I tell you that my day trips to Cardiff have been some of my favourite parts of my university experience so far. Just under an hour away, Transport for Wales trains will get you across the border for just over £10 with a student railcard. If you cannot make the main celebration, the city still has so much to offer all year round for Welsh and non-Welsh students.

Whether it be visiting Cardiff castle (yes, you can go in), or walking through the gorgeous shopping arcades, consider breaking up the monotony of winter university life by heading to Cardiff.

Wish someone a Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus

Before you ask, no, I didn’t just type random letters. The Welsh language in Bristol is hard to come by. Although many of us Welsh students shudder at the memory of our primary school teachers telling us: “Yn Cymraeg, os gwelwch yn dda” (In Welsh, please), we deep down miss the sound of the language that we were taught in childhood.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus (dee-th goyl deh-wee hap-is) is our way of saying ‘Happy St. David’s Day;’ a seemingly small phrase, however guaranteed to warm the heart of any Welsh person in your life.

The Welsh language has endured great hardship, and Welsh students were taught as children to be proud of our mother tongue. Hearing it in an environment that can sometimes feel so far removed from where we grew up makes us feel truly seen and understood.

What’s even better is you don’t need to get it perfect. No matter how much you butcher pronunciation, I’m sure your Welsh friends have heard far worse. The language can seem to have a mind of its own but give it a go and you might discover that we find your broken delivery rather endearing.

Raise a (Welsh) glass

No St. David’s Day would be complete without a drink, and the Welsh know what they’re doing when it comes to alcohol. Unfortunately, our beloved Bristol clubbing scene hasn’t yet caught on to the UK’s up and coming national holiday.

But don’t let that stop you from organising your own night out dedicated to celebrating Welsh spirit. Besides, I’m not sure the Welsh national anthem would be the right fit for the Brass Pig anyway.

St. David really has blessed us this year: the holiday lands on the Sunday of Bristol Uni’s reading week. I assure you this is a blessing because all it means is that we’re going to have to prolong the celebration.

It is completely justified to raise a glass anytime between Saturday 28th February and the following Saturday March 7th. In fact, since we’ve got so much time, why not raise two?

If I had to recommend a drink for the occasion, it’ll be no surprise to you that I’m a strong advocate for Welsh spirits. Vodka drinkers will be happy to know that AU Vodka is Swansea based. However, if dark spirits are more to your taste, Aber Falls is a gorgeously rich Welsh-made whisky.

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