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According to one legend about why the Welsh wear leeks on St David's Day, the soldiers of the ancient British king, Cadwaladyr, were about to fight their traditional enemy, the Saxons. Dewi Sant (St David) advised the Welsh to wear a leek in order to recognise their fellow countrymen during the battle.

St David, patron of Wales, lived in the sixth century and founded a monastery on the site of St David's Cathedral (Ty Dewi). He and his followers lived a peaceful and ascetic life, which makes the legend about a battle rather doubtful. There are many legends about Dewi Sant, and this one is not recorded until the 17th century.

The second legend is set in the year 1346, when the Prince of Wales, Edward the Black Prince, defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy.ÌýWelsh archers fought bravely in a field of leeks, and as a reminder of their bravery and loyalty, the Welsh began to wear a leek in their caps every St David's Day. This is the legend which appears in Shakespeare's play Henry V written in the 16th century during the time of Elizabeth Tudor.

Leeks were eaten and used in medicine for centuries, but the connection with St David's Day is associated with the time of the Tudors when many Welsh served the monarchs of this Welsh dynasty. By the time Shakespeare included the story of the leek in his play, it was so well established that one of the characters could call it 'an ancient tradition.' Tudor royal household accounts list several payments for leeks in connection with this celebration. In 1536, Henry VIII presented his daughter with a leek on St David's Day.

Dewi has been a popular saint in Wales since the 12th century, and his feast day became a national festival during the 18th century. By this time the leek was often associated with caricatures of Welsh life, and this may be one reason why daffodils became popular as an alternative national symbol.

The flower appeared in early spring, around the time of St David's Day. Lloyd George wore the daffodil on this day and encouraged its use at the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911. This continued important aspects of the earlier leek custom as a symbol of a distinctive Welsh identity, but offered a more pleasant-smelling alternative.

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Although wearing daffodils on St David's Day is very recent and we don't know whether the legends about wearing leeks are true, it really doesn't matter. Legends tell us more about who we are than they do about history and the connection between leeks, daffodils, St David's Day and being Welsh is very strong, even if it doesn't go back as far as Dewi Sant himself.

Which will you be wearing today? A daffodil or a leek? Let us know below...