Sunday 1 March will see Wales come alive to celebrate St David's Day, with parades, and awash with red dragons, yellow daffodils, green leeks and colourful traditional dress.

It's more than 1,400 years since St David was alive, but Wales' sense of national pride is as strong as ever, as song, dance and celebration erupt in honour of the patron saint; the only Welsh saint to be canonized by the Western Catholic Church.

Here are 13 fast facts on St David's Day and how St David came to earn his place in his country's heart, as a spiritual, mindful and inspirational figure.

1. St David's Day marks the anniversary of his death, more than 1,400 years ago on 1 March, 589 AD

2. “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” or “Do the little things” are considered to be his most famous words, and potentially his final ones. St David believed that the people of Wales should do the small, considerate things that often make a big difference

3. St David's Day didn't become a national day of celebration until the 18th century

4. St David is also the only patron Saint in the UK that was born in the country of his saint-hood

5. St David was a teetotal vegetarian, who would rather plough fields himself than put a farm animal to task. He was also often known as the waterman as he only ever drank water

6. St David is reported to have performed many miracles. He restored a blind man's sight and brought a dead boy back to life, simply by splashing his face with tears

7. His most famous miracle though, took place in Llanddewi Brefi, between the Brecon Beacons and the coastal town of Aberystwyth. Overwhelmed by a crowd that came to his sermon, St David stood upon a handkerchief and a small hill grew beneath his feet, meaning he could be seen by all

8. The Cathedral in St Davids, Pembrokeshire is home to St David's shrine

9. St David is usually depicted holding a dove, standing on a hillock, which is said to symbolise the Holy Spirit

10. Legend has it that St David ordered Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their helmets before fighting the Saxons. It was this that secured victory, and one of the reasons why he is also usually shown with a leek

11. St David has a royal family tree. His father was prince of Ceredigion and his mother Non, also a saint, was the niece of legendary King Arthur

12. David Lloyd George, the only Welshman to serve as Prime Minister, was a public advocate of the daffodil and its appearance in early spring as a symbol of nature's optimism neatly coincides with St David's Day on March 1

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For further details, please contact: visitwales@webershandwick.com or call 0161 238 9400.