Celebrate Santes Dwynwen Day

Don’t forget it’s Santes Dwynwen Day on Saturday, January 25.

Santes Dwynwen is the Welsh Patron Saint of Lovers.  Dwynwen was the prettiest of King Brychan Brycheiniog's 24 daughters. She fell in love with a local lad called Maelon Dafodrill, but King Brychan had already arranged for her to marry another prince. Maelon took the news badly, so the distraught Dwynwen fled to the woods to weep, and begged God to help her. She was visited by an angel who gave her a sweet potion to help her forget Maelon, which happened to turn him into a block of ice.

God then granted Dwynwen three wishes. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second wish was for God to help all true lovers; her third wish was that she would never marry. In gratitude, Dwynwen became a nun and set up a convent on Llanddwyn Island, off the west coast of Anglesey.  This is also where Dwynwen is believed to have been buried when she died around 460.

Why not support local businesses by buying a Santes Dwynwen card or check out Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr’s Saint Dwynwen’s Day playlist on Spotify.

To celebrate, we are giving one lucky member of staff the chance to win a hamper of Carmarthenshire/Welsh produce. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the question below. Email your response to iaithgymraeg@sirgar.gov.uk by 12.30pm on Wednesday, 22 January. The lucky winner will be chosen at random.

Q. Where was Dwynwen believed to have been buried?