St David's Day is here, with daffodils beginning to bloom and celebrations in honour of the Welsh figure set to take place today.

Recognised annually since the 12th century, the Welsh occasion is the first day of the year we Britons celebrate one of our patron saints and marks the date of St David's supposed death in 589 AD.

But why are leeks, doves and daffodils tied to the event and how is the day celebrated by the Welsh nation? Here is everything you need to know about St David's Day.

When is St David's Day?

St David's Day, the patron saint day of Wales, falls each year on March 1, with a range of celebratory events taking place and the country's national flag flying more than usual. Want to say 'Happy St David's Day' in Welsh? It's Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus - pronounced Deethe goo-eel Dew-ee happ-iss. Easy!

Who was St David?

St David is the patron saint of Wales - as well as the patron saint of doves. Also known as Dewi Sant in Welsh, he was born in Caerfai in Pembrokshire, Wales to Sant, a prince of Cardigan, and St Non, the daughter of a chieftain in around 500 AD. He was recognised as a national patron saint at the height of Welsh resistance to the Normans.

St David studied under St Paulinus in Cardigan before he went on pilgrimages, travelling to Wales, Cornwall, Britanny, Ireland and Jerusalem, where he was made an archbishop.

He helped to spread the word of Christianity, and he founded around 12 monastaries in his lifetime. He also helped to suppress Pelegrian heresy, where people believed that original sin did not taint human nature and people are capable of choosing good or evil without divine aid.

Monastaries founded by him were known for their extreme asceticism, where monks abstained from worldly pleasures, living on a diet of bread, vegetables, water and milk. They also did all of the hard labour themselves, including farming without the aid of an ox to plow the fields.

While little is known about St David's life, he is known for performing miracles. His most famous miracle was when he was preaching to a large crowd at the Synod of Brefi and raised the ground beneath him into a hill so his sermon could be heard by all.

He also miraculously lived after eating bread poisoned by monks at his monastery, who tired of their life of austerity, as well as restoring the sight of his tutor, St Paulinus.

In medieval times, St David was thought to be the nephew of King Arthur. In some stories, it is his mother who was the niece of King Arthur. Legend also says that St Patrick foresaw David's birth.