What is Saint David's Day?
{{Infobox Holiday |holiday_name = Saint David's Day |type = National |longtype = [[National day]] in [[Wales]]. |image = Jesus Chapel St David.jpg |caption = St David |official_name = Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant |observedby = [[Wales]], [[Welsh people]], [[Welsh diaspora]] |date = 1 March |celebrations = Children take part in [[eisteddfod]]au. |observances = Parades; wearing Welsh emblems, etc. |relatedto = }} '''Saint David's Day''' is the feast (celebration) day of [[Saint David]]. He is the [[patron saint]] of [[Wales]]. His feast day falls on the 1st of March each year. The day is celebrated by the people of Wales and people of Welsh background throughout the world. The first day of March was chosen in memory of the death of Saint David. It is believed that he died on that day in 589.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04640b.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: '&#39;St. David'&#39; |publisher=Newadvent.org |accessdate=2012-03-02}}</ref> The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century. Everyone in the National Assembly for Wales voted to make St. David's Day a public holiday in 2000. A poll conducted for Saint David's Day in 2006 found that 87% of people in Wales wanted it to be a [[bank holiday]], with 65% prepared to sacrifice a different bank holiday to ensure this.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4760362.stm |title=Poll backs St David's Day holiday |author=Guto Thomas |publisher=BBC News |date=1 March 2006 |accessdate=2008-03-01}}</ref> A petition in 2007 to make St. David's Day a bank holiday was rejected by the office of the British Prime Minister, [[Tony Blair]].<ref>[http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11078.asp Bank-Holiday - epetition reply: ''Prime Minister rejects petition to make St David's Day holiday''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310220610/http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11078.asp |date=2008-03-10 }}, 10 Downing Street.</ref> Parades are