St Dwynwens on 25th January ❤️

St. Dwynwen's Day, celebrated on January 25, honors the Welsh patron saint of lovers, St. Dwynwen, and is often considered the Welsh equivalent of Valentine's Day.

This small lantern is available in my shop.

Who is St. Dwynwen?

St. Dwynwen, a 5th-century princess and the daughter of King Brychan Brycheiniog , is known as the patron saint of lovers in Wales. Talgarth in the heart of the Black Mountains near to where I live is known to be the ancient capital of Brycheiniog and according to legend, she fell in love with a prince named Maelon Dafodrill, but her father had already arranged her marriage to another man. Heartbroken, Dwynwen fled to the woods, where she prayed for help. An angel appeared, giving her a potion that caused Maelon to turn into ice. God granted her three wishes: to thaw Maelon, to help all true lovers, and that she would never marry. Grateful for these gifts, Dwynwen devoted her life to God and became a nun, founding a convent on Llanddwyn Island on Anglesey, which is now a site of pilgrimage.

View from the remains of the church on Llanddwyn, the paths are covered in crushed shells.

To get to the island you must wait until the tide is low enough to walk from the beach onto the small island. From here there are spectacular views across the sea to North Wales and if you are lucky enough you might catch sight of a red squirrel in the forest near to where you can park. The beach on Anglesey is beautiful and long, perfect for sunny summers or it is just as captivating in the winter as I found out.