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St. David's Day in Swansea: A Celebration of Welsh Pride and Heritage
1 March 2025
March 1st marks one of the most important days in Wales' cultural calendar: St. David’s Day. The day celebrates St. David, the patron saint of Wales, and is a time for people across the country to honour Welsh history, language, and traditions. In Swansea, this day is celebrated with a mix of local pride, vibrant events, and an embrace of everything that makes Wales such a unique place to live and study.
Whether you're a local or a student new to Swansea, here’s a glimpse of how the city comes alive on St. David's Day and how you can be part of the celebration.
St. David’s Day is a day filled with Welsh pride and tradition. The streets of Swansea are adorned with the iconic Welsh flag, featuring the red dragon, and people across the city wear the national symbols of leeks and daffodils to mark the occasion. These symbols are more than just decorative, they represent the essence of Welsh identity.
On St. David’s Day, you’ll see local residents proudly sporting daffodils pinned to their jackets or wearing leek-shaped accessories. The daffodil, Wales' national flower, blooms just in time for the holiday, and the leek has long been a symbol of Welsh pride, even worn by soldiers in battles throughout history.
While Swansea may not have a massive parade, the city comes alive in smaller but equally meaningful ways. Here are some of the things you can look forward to:
Cultural performances - St. David's Day often brings local musicians and performers out to share Welsh folk music, songs, and dances with the public. You might find Welsh choirs singing on the steps of the Swansea Museum, or traditional Welsh folk dancers performing in the city’s open spaces.
Welsh language celebrations - for those interested in learning more about the Welsh language, Swansea offers opportunities to immerse yourself in some Welsh phrases. On St. David’s Day, you might see pop-up Welsh language workshops, public readings, or storytelling sessions that allow both locals and visitors to connect with this ancient language. You’ll hear people saying “Bore da” (good morning) and “Diolch” (thank you) as they greet each other on this day.
Markets and street stalls - Swansea’s vibrant markets, especially in the Swansea Market, often feature Welsh-themed stalls. Here, you can pick up Welsh delicacies such as Welsh cakes, bara brith (fruit bread), and cawl (a traditional Welsh stew). Don’t forget to try some Welsh cheese or leeks, which are in abundance during the festivities.
One of the highlights of St. David’s Day is the opportunity to sample traditional Welsh food. Whether you’re in a local restaurant or visiting a street market, you'll be treated to dishes steeped in history and full of flavour.
How can you take part?
Wear Welsh colours - don’t forget to wear something that represents Welsh pride, whether it's a daffodil in your jacket, a red shirt, or a dragon themed accessory.
Attend a local event - keep an eye out for local events happening at community centres, museums, or galleries in Swansea. You may find live music performances, Welsh cooking classes, or language workshops happening around town.
Explore Swansea’s cultural heritage- take a walk around Swansea and discover the beautiful parks, historic buildings, and museums that showcase the rich cultural tapestry of Wales.
St. David’s Day is a celebration of more than just a saint—it’s a celebration of everything that makes Wales unique: its history, culture, language, and people. Whether you’re born and raised in Wales or are studying here as part of your university experience, this day is a reminder of the pride and unity that exists across the country.
Happy St. David’s Day, and may your day be filled with Welsh pride and joy!
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We’re committed to delivering the best student accommodation and experiences. We’ve come a long way since our beginnings over 25 years ago, but our journey is far from over. As we continue to grow and evolve, we’re constantly striving to improve and innovate, ensuring that our properties meet the needs of today’s students while looking ahead to the future. So, what’s next for Digs Swansea? Expanding our property portfolio - one of the most exciting things on the horizon for us is our plan to expand our portfolio of student accommodation. We’re actively working on acquiring new properties across Swansea to provide more options for students, especially in key areas close to Swansea University and other local amenities. Re-developments - as part of our expansion, we’re converting larger properties into more modern, comfortable living spaces that cater to the growing demand for high-quality student accommodation. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to turn some of our properties that require a refurbishment into even better properties. Diverse offerings - aur aim is to offer a variety of accommodation types, from shared houses to individual studios, ensuring there’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a quiet space to focus on your studies or a social environment to meet new friends. Embracing sustainability - sustainability is more important than ever, and Digs Swansea is committed to making our properties greener and more environmentally friendly. We’re already working on a number of initiatives to reduce our environmental impact and help students live more sustainably, such as upgrading some properties to better energy efficiency, starting a tree planting scheme and looking at sustainable materials. Innovative technology integration - we currently already have a partnership with an excellent company for our technology services. For example, we use Arthur as an all in one application for students to manage their tenancy, chat with us, view any documents for their property, raise problems, see when bills are due and much more. We're now looking to further this will re-developments with our other online platforms. Enhanced student experience - we understand that student accommodation isn’t just about having a place to live, it’s about creating a community and supporting students throughout their time in Swansea, ensuring they have a smooth and enjoyable experience with us. Our vision for the future includes enhancing the student experience in a variety of ways. We currently have a robust system of working for tenants, but we now have employed another staff member to help us! We are getting feedback to see where we can improve and are looking for ways we can move forward to ensure we continually provide the excellent experience that our tenants have with us. Our service aims to provide a personalised experience for tenants, tailoring our services to meet individual needs. As we look to the future, we’re excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Digs Swansea. With our plans for expansion, sustainability, technology integration, and enhanced student experiences, we’re dedicated to continually improving.
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