Google Doodle celebrates St. David’s Day 2023

Today’s limited Google Doodle is celebrating St. David’s Day 2023 or Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant in Wales and, by extension, the United Kingdom.

For those unaware, St. David’s Day is a celebration of the patron saint of Wales who died on this day all the way back in the year 589. It was not until the 12th century that he was canonized by Pope Callixtus. Each of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom has their own distinct patron saint with unique celebratory days within each region.

St. David’s Day is a big deal in Wales with an annual parade held in the capital Cardiff and several other towns and cities including Swansea and Aberystwyth. Traditional festivities include a wide range of events with people sporting daffodils and leeks, which are recognized as symbols of the small nation.

Celebrations are not limited to just the United Kingdom. St. David’s Day is celebrated to a lesser extent across the globe including a congressional reception at the United States Capitol in honor of the First Minister of Wales’ biannual visits. The flag of Saint David is a key component in the St. David’s Day celebrations.

The Welsh flag features a red dragon atop a green and white background. One of only a few flags to feature creatures of any form, according to the legend of Dinas Emrys, a Celtic king’s castle repeatedly collapsed due to two dragons fighting in a lair below its foundation. According to this tale, the red dragon eventually triumphed. Several Welsh towns and cities incorporate the red dragon into emblems and flags to this day.

It was officially recognized as the Welsh national flag back in 1959 and has become a prominent symbol of Welsh pride. To truly celebrate St. David’s Day the flag will decorate thousands of buildings and homes throughout the country.

The Doodle incorporates many of the traditionally Welsh heritage objects, items, and plants. The hand-crafted artwork was made with acrylic glass cut into the shape of vases filled with daffodils — Wales’s national flower.