St Dwynwen's Day

Here in Wales, today is St Dwynwen's Day, the Welsh equivalent of Valentine's Day.

Dwynwen lived in the 5th century and was the daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog - one of twenty four! Legend has it that she fell in love with Prince Maelon Dafodrill, but as her father already had an arranged marriage planned nothing could ever come of her love for her prince.

Upset she turned to her belief in God and begged him to help her forget Maelon. She then fell asleep and was visited by an angel who had a potion to erase all memory of her lover and turn him to a block of ice. God then gave her three wishes. The first for Maelon to be thawed, the second for God to meet the hopes and dreams of lovers and third that Dwynwen should never marry.

After this Dwynwen never married, but founded a convent off the coast of Anglesey, where a well was named after her. This well was visited by pilgrims after her death in 465AD as it was told that a sacred fish that lived within it could predict future love and luck.

There are cards especially for today and popularity of the day is growing.

So why not say 'Dwi'n dy garu di - I love you in Welsh to someone special today.