WALES
Wales has specific emblems:
The leek
As strange as it may seem, the leek is the national emblem of Wales. According to legend, during a battle against the pagan Saxons in a leek field, Saint-David ordered Welsh soldiers to wear a leek on their helmets to distinguish friend from foe! Of course, they were victorious.
The daffodil
This is another popular emblem of Wales. In Welsh, leek is translated as cenhinen and daffodil as ceninhen Bedr (the “stone leek”). It is probably because of this lexical similarity that the daffodil has become the national flower of Wales! In the language of flowers, daffodils signify chivalry and or respect. It’s worn on March 1st, St David’s Day and Wales’ National Day.
The Red Dragon
The red dragon has been a symbol of Wales for so long that some consider the Welsh flag to be the oldest in the world. It stands prominently in the middle of Wales’ national banner. This mythical beast was chosen because of its fierce pride and its majesty. The white and green stripes symbolize the Welsh Tudor dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. They also symbolize the colours of leek, another symbol of Wales. It should be noted that the Welsh flag is the only one not represented on the Union Jack (flag of the United Kingdom). Indeed, Wales had been annexed by Edward I of England in 1282 and was considered an integral part of the Kingdom of England.
We hope you enjoyed our articles on the symbols of the United Kingdom !
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