St. David of Wales, March 1
A Welsh monk of the sixth century, David founded a strict monastery at Mynyw, now St Davids, where monks lived on bread, vegetables and water. His last words to his followers were to do the little things well. March 1 is St. David’s Day, the national day of Wales.
March 1 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint David, bishop, patron of Wales on this date.
Other saints on March 1
- St. Albinus, bishop of Angers (550)
Name days on March 1
In countries that keep name days, March 1 is the day for people named David and Dewi. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| David | March 1 |
| Dewi | March 1 |
March 1 on the calendar
March 1 is the 60th day of the year (the 61st in a leap year), with 305 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | Friday |
Keeping March 1
March 1 falls in winter. Since the general calendar has no celebration that day, the Mass is usually that of the weekday of the season, and the saint may be remembered in local calendars or in personal prayer. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named David and Dewi, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around March 1
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| February 27 | St. Gregory of Narek |
| February 28 | Sts. Romanus and Lupicinus |
| February 29 | St. Oswald of Worcester |
| March 2 | St. Agnes of Bohemia |
| March 3 | St. Katharine Drexel |
| March 4 | St. Casimir |
The day before, February 29, is the day of St. Oswald of Worcester. The day after, March 2, belongs to St. Agnes of Bohemia. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.