A National Holiday for Wales?

New St Davids Day Bank Holiday Campa

Submitted by Luke O'Mahony on 19th Feb 2010 13:59:40

A fresh campaign to make St. David's Day a bank holiday is being supported by Welsh Whisky distiller Penderyn.

The campaign, which includes a Facebook group, Twitter page and a Downing Street petition, is aimed at changing government legislation to allow for a public holiday on the 1st of March, remembering St David, the Patron Saint of Wales.

A poll conducted by the BBC in 2006 found that 87% of Welsh people wanted St Davids Day to be a bank holiday, and many support a holiday on St Davids Day even if it would mean a holiday was lost from another day. However no government petition has ever been ratified.

Penderyn spokesperson Stephen Davies commented: There is overwhelming support in Wales for St Davids Day to be a public holiday, and the time is ripe for people to demonstrate their support for this. Other countries such as Ireland honour their patron saints with a public holiday which is entwined in their culture, and we see this as a great opportunity to bring the country together and celebrate Waless unique culture and history.


Comment:
Must Wales wait for Independence before St David's Day is declared a National Holiday?