Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus

[debris4spike]

Seeing as my brother Nick is actually Welsh I thought I would wish you all a Happy St David's Day.  The first school I went to was in Wales, and Nick was born in the city of St Asaph.

Comments

[gillo]

Diolch yn fawr!

[debris4spike]

You're welcome!

(OK - I had to Google!)

[gillo]

I've been doing Duolingo Welsh for nearly a year! (My Mum was Welsh too, so I already knew that one.

Weirdly, until recently, the salutation was "Hapus Dydd Dewi Sant!" - ow the world "gŵyl" has replaced "sant". I have no idea why. It's a mystery.

[debris4spike]

I learnt Welsh nursery Rhymes by rote when I was at school, but then forgot it all. So I had to borrow Mr Google for the post!

I had read that the phrase had changed

[gillo]

I have a Welsh dictionary. Apparently "gwyl" means "festival" or "feast day", so you could put "Sant" in after "Dewi" if you wanted. I bet lots of people still say "Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus!", don't you?

[debris4spike]

It's hard to change the habits of a lifetime!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oddly, my sister is also Welsh - born in Crickhowell War Memorial Hospital, and my first school was in Crickhowell.

[debris4spike]

I learnt Welsh nursery Rhymes by rote when I was at school, but then forgot it all. So I had to borrow Mr Google for the post!

I also checked where you were - and you weren't far from Aberfan. I remember that morning as I was at school, and remember Miss Ffaulkes telling us that we would all be dead! Great intro to history/geography/current affaires for a 5 year old!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We were close to Aberfan there - and had my parents not decided to come back to the island to care for my granny we would have been closer as they were looking to buy a house somewhere near Ebbw Vale I think.

By the time of the tragedy we were back on the island, but I know my mum was very upset because not only had we been so close, but there was a little girl amongst the dead who had almost the same name as my sister - Jaqueline Powell was killed, my sister was Jacqueline Power.

[debris4spike]

I can remember my mum often talked about the day she picked me up from school and I was so matter-of-fact about the trajedy

One of these days I want to go to Aberfan ... I shall look for her grave in memory of your mum (my middle name is Jacqueline)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

What a lovely thought - thank you.