Words Carys Jones. Pictures by Megan Monk and Melisa Numan. Video by Eleanor Fox.

In Wales, the first of march March is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. The first of the month marks the day he died in 589AD. It is commonly known as St David’s day.

Hundreds of people gathered in Cardiff this morning to parade through the city centre for the annual celebration of Wales and St David.

David Collins, who has celebrated Saint David’s day with his son at the parade for many years, said how important it is to keep the culture and Welsh language alive. “It means an awful lot to me as a proud speaking Welsh man, it’s a huge symbol of Welsh identity and culture”.

While this parade is to celebrate St David’s day, it is also used to bring awareness to Welsh matters, many Welsh nationals believe that the Welsh language will become lost in the years to come. Songs were sung only in Welsh while parading through Cardiff, so that passers by hear the native language.

The 1st of March is not a bank holiday and Welsh people are pushing for something to be done about it. After the parade reached its end, the organisers voiced their opinions and chanted “Make our day a holiday”.