St Piran's Day
Encyclopedia
St Piran's DaySt Piran's Day ( is the national day of Cornwall
, held on 5 March every year. The day is named after one of the patron saint
s of Cornwall, Saint Piran
, who is also the patron saint of tinminers.
miners of Cornwall
. Other miners' holidays of a similar nature include Picrous Day
and Chewidden Thursday
. There is little description of specific traditions associated with this day. However, many observers noted the large consumption of alcohol and food during 'Perrantide'. The day following the St Piran's Day was known by many as 'Mazey Day', a term which has now been adopted by the revived Golowan festival in Penzance
. The phrase 'drunk as a perraner' was used in 19th century Cornwall to describe people who had consumed large quantities of alcohol
.
sought to provide the people of Cornwall with a national day similar to those observed in other nations. Since the 1950s, the celebration has become increasingly observed and since the start of the 21st century almost every Cornish community holds some sort of celebration to mark the event. Saint Piran's Flag
is also seen flying throughout Cornwall on this day.
St Piran's day is also celebrated annually in Grass Valley, California
, United States
, to honour the Cornish miners who participated in the area's mining history beginning in the mid 19th century.
asked the government to make the 5th of March a public holiday in Cornwall to recognise celebrations for St Piran's Day. More recently, there has been a petition for the holiday. Some council workers in Bodmin
were granted the holiday in 2006, and there have been other calls and petitions for a Cornish public holiday on the 5th of March. From 2009 Penzance Town Council will offer its employees a St Piran's Day Holiday following a campaign by the Celtic League
.
It is suggested that a move from the May day bank holiday to a St Piran's day bank holiday in Cornwall, on March 5th, would benefit the Cornish economy by £20-35 million.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, held on 5 March every year. The day is named after one of the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
s of Cornwall, Saint Piran
Saint Piran
Saint Piran or Perran is an early 6th century Cornish abbot and saint, supposedly of Irish origin....
, who is also the patron saint of tinminers.
Origins
St Piran's Day started as one of the many tinners' holidays observed by the tinTin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
miners of Cornwall
Mining in Cornwall
Mining in Cornwall and Devon began in the early Bronze Age approximately 2,150 BC and ended with the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall closing in 1998...
. Other miners' holidays of a similar nature include Picrous Day
Picrous Day
Picrous Day was a festival celebrated by the tin miners of Cornwall on the 2nd Thursday before Christmas. This is believed to be the feast of the discovery of tin by a man named Picrous whom miners in the East of Cornwall celebrated as the founder of their industry instead of St Piran.Robert Hunt...
and Chewidden Thursday
Chewidden Thursday
Chewidden Thursday was a festival celebrated by the tin miners of West Cornwall on the last clear Thursday before Christmas...
. There is little description of specific traditions associated with this day. However, many observers noted the large consumption of alcohol and food during 'Perrantide'. The day following the St Piran's Day was known by many as 'Mazey Day', a term which has now been adopted by the revived Golowan festival in Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
. The phrase 'drunk as a perraner' was used in 19th century Cornwall to describe people who had consumed large quantities of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
.
Modern celebrations
The modern observance of St Piran's day as a national symbol of the people of Cornwall started in the late 19th and early 20th century when Celtic revivalistsCeltic Revival
Celtic Revival covers a variety of movements and trends, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries, which drew on the traditions of Celtic literature and Celtic art, or in fact more often what art historians call Insular art...
sought to provide the people of Cornwall with a national day similar to those observed in other nations. Since the 1950s, the celebration has become increasingly observed and since the start of the 21st century almost every Cornish community holds some sort of celebration to mark the event. Saint Piran's Flag
Saint Piran's Flag
Saint Piran's Flag is the flag of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The earliest known description of the flag as the Standard of Cornwall was written in 1838. It is used by Cornish people as a symbol of identity. It is a white cross on a black background....
is also seen flying throughout Cornwall on this day.
St Piran's day is also celebrated annually in Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to honour the Cornish miners who participated in the area's mining history beginning in the mid 19th century.
St Piran's Day Bank Holiday proposal
In 2006, Cornish MP Dan RogersonDan Rogerson
Daniel John Rogerson is a Cornish Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for North Cornwall since the 2005 General election.-Early life:...
asked the government to make the 5th of March a public holiday in Cornwall to recognise celebrations for St Piran's Day. More recently, there has been a petition for the holiday. Some council workers in Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
were granted the holiday in 2006, and there have been other calls and petitions for a Cornish public holiday on the 5th of March. From 2009 Penzance Town Council will offer its employees a St Piran's Day Holiday following a campaign by the Celtic League
Celtic League (political organisation)
The Celtic League is a non-governmental organisation that promotes self-determination and Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man, known as the Celtic nations. It places particular emphasis on the indigenous Celtic languages...
.
It is suggested that a move from the May day bank holiday to a St Piran's day bank holiday in Cornwall, on March 5th, would benefit the Cornish economy by £20-35 million.
See also
- Chewidden ThursdayChewidden ThursdayChewidden Thursday was a festival celebrated by the tin miners of West Cornwall on the last clear Thursday before Christmas...
another tin miners' celebration. - Picrous DayPicrous DayPicrous Day was a festival celebrated by the tin miners of Cornwall on the 2nd Thursday before Christmas. This is believed to be the feast of the discovery of tin by a man named Picrous whom miners in the East of Cornwall celebrated as the founder of their industry instead of St Piran.Robert Hunt...
another tin miners' celebration.