There was love in the air across Monmouthshire on Monday, with adults and children alike ‘going red’ to celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen – the Welsh St Valentine’s Day – in the run-up to the National Eisteddfod visiting Abergavenny.

Staff at the council’s five community hubs turned up to work in scarlet jumpers, scarves and hats while school children wore something red, discussed their love for Wales and celebrated the county’s Welsh culture.

Monmouthshire’s adult education team also encouraged students and tutors from art to Welsh classes to ‘go red’ and manager Andrea Charles said they would be celebrating Dydd Santes Dwynwen with bara brith, Welsh cakes and daffodils.

Meanwhile, the council’s youth service gave young couples visiting Abergavenny’s skate area at Old Hereford Road the opportunity to pose for a cwtch in a specially-designed heart-shaped selfie frame, while the adjoining youth service community café served up Welsh cakes.

And later in the day The Angel Hotel hosted a St Dwynwen’s Day meal, where guests were served by staff wearing red.

Who was Dwynwen?

There are several versions of the story surrounding Dwynwen, who lived in the 5th century and was said to be the prettiest of the 24 daughters of Welsh king Brychan Brycheiniog.

Dwynwen fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill, son of a neighbouring king but the couple couldn’t marry because her father had already arranged for her to marry someone else.

One version says that Maelon was furious and took his anger out on Dwynwen - and that she prayed to God to be let out of her love and turned him into ice.

Another version says that Dwynwen was distraught and ran away into the woods, begging God to make her forget Maelon and that she dreamt an angel came to her carrying a potion designed to erase all memory of him and turn him into a block of ice.

Dwynwen was later granted three wishes by God. In one version she chose to be free of Maelon, to never marry and for God to meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers - in another her first choice was for Maelon to be thawed!

Either way, with her three wishes fulfilled, Dwynwen decided to become a nun as a mark of thanks, setting up a convent on the island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey.

The remains of the church can still be seen on the island today, along with Dwynwen’s well, which has become a place of pilgrimage for young Welsh lovers.

It’s believed the well is home to sacred fish who can predict whether couples relationships will succeed. If the fish are seen to be active when visiting the well, it’s said to be the sign of a faithful husband!

For pictures from the day see this week’s Chronicle