About St Dwynwen's Day
Dwynwen was a fifth-century saint (died 460) who lived in seclusion at Llanddwyn Island.
The patron saint of friendship and love in Wales, St Dwynwen (Santes Dwynwen) was a Welsh princess who lived in what is now the Brecon Beacons National Park. Dwynwen was rather unlucky in love, so she became a nun. She prayed for true lovers to have better luck than she did.
According to the BBC, how Dwynwen became associated with lovers is a fairly grizzly tale, featuring an arranged marriage gone wrong, a convent and a frozen lover. To celebrate Dwynwen, Welsh lovers traditionally exchange “love spoons” – ornate wooden utensils featuring symbols to express different sentiments.
The church on the island (the ruins of which still stand today) became a medieval pilgrimage site and supposedly featured a magic well.
Saint Dwynwen's Day is not officially recognized in the Catholic and Anglican liturgical calendars, but its celebration has become a popular custom in Wales for lovers.
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