St Dwynwen’s Day

St Dwynwen’s Day is the Welsh version of Valentine’s Day as the day celebrates St Dwynwen, the Welsh saint of lovers. She lived in the 5th century, where she fell in love with a man called Maelon Dafodrill. They couldn’t be together though as her farther forbade the marriage and had already promised her to someone else. After falling asleep she was visited by an angel who carried a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. God then gave three wishes to her. She wished that Maelon be thawed, that God would meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers and that she would never marry. All three were met, and as thanks, she devoted herself to God’s service for the rest of her life. She became a nun, and left for the island of Anglesey and built a church, which became known as Llanddwyn, meaning “church of Dwynwen”. Its ruins still exist today on the island, and also contains Dwynwen’s well, which allegedly, a sacred fish swims, whose movements predict the fortunes and relationships of various couples. Another tradition is that if the water boils when visitors are there, then love and good luck will surely follow.