ST. DAVID'S DAY - 1st March

Harlech Castle, Wales

Learn about Wales

• Wales, known to Welsh speakers as Cymru, is part of the United Kingdom.
• King Edward 1st conquered the nation following the death of the Welsh leader in 1282, which eventually led to a legal union with England in 1536.
• A feature of the warring factions of the Middle Ages is the large number of defensive castles built by nobles, which provide tourists with an insight into the torrid history of the region.
• Self rule, in the form of a new devolved National Assembly, was won after the referendum in 1997.
• Wales has lovely sandy beaches on the Gower Peninsula as well as beautiful National Parks, for example mountainous Snowdonia, which are justly popular with hikers.
• Rugby is the National Sport, with the national team, drawn from a mere 3 million population, often excelling against the much larger nations of England and France.
• Whilst famed for its countryside, the majority of people live in modern thriving cities such as Cardiff.
• Saint David is the patron saint of this country.

DO YOU SPEAK WELSH?

Here are some words related to traditional Welsh culture:

Now  do this quizz and test yourself:

ST. DAVID'S DAY QUIZZ       

Strawberry Day - 27th February

  

Strawberry Day was created to celebrate those little red fruits bursting with sweet perfection! 
A gift from Chile in the 1700s, garden strawberry plants made their way to North America in the 1750s. The plant is fairly easy to grow and doesn’t seem adverse to flourishing anywhere in the world. If you’d like your own homegrown strawberries this summer, make sure your plant has full sun and sandy soil – and your dogs don’t eat off all the berries before you can pick a few. If fresh strawberries aren’t at their best in your grocery store, don’t forget the many accessible forms you can always get your hands on. Frozen and dried strawberries can help in a pinch if you’re creating in the kitchen. Strawberry preserves, ice cream, yogurt, smoothies and milkshakes are nothing to shake a stick at either. But if you are one of the lucky folks who stumbled on some great fresh strawberries, you can whip up a strawberry pie, shortcake or even a simple dish of strawberries and cream. 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN A STRAWBERRY?

I wish you a berry nice day, and strawberry fields forever.

Valentine's Day - 14th February