There are several times during the year when a visitor can experience the real community spirit of Falmouth and one of those is Saint Piran’s Day.
On the sixth of March 2023 Falmouth celebrated St Piran’s Day, one day late. Saint Piran’s Day (Cornish: Gool Peran), or the Feast of Saint Piran, is the national day of Cornwall, traditionally held on fifth of March every year. The day is named after one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners.
It is said that Saint Piran arrived from Ireland in the 5th century. Having fallen out with the King of Munster he was tied to a millstone and thrown off the cliffs into the stormy Irish Sea. Miraculously, the sea became calm and the stone floated him all the way to Perranporth beach. Although he couldn’t speak Cornish he managed to gather followers: a badger, a fox and boar were his first disciples.
This year in Falmouth hundreds of school children danced through the streets. Parading all the way from The Moor to King Charles the Martyr Church for a special service.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there was a revival of Celtic traditions throughout the UK and although just one of many tinners’ holidays the fifth of March became a focus of celebration in Cornwall. A tradition that has become even stronger since the 1950s. It is celebrated in all the major towns in Cornwall, also in Grass Valley California, to honour the Cornish miners who participated in the area’s mining history in the 19th century. In addition, Cornish genealogy organisations in the US celebrate the day.
The Cornish flag is also known as Saint Pirans Cross. Although it has origins in the 12th century Saint Piran’s Cross was formally adopted as the Cornish flag in 1890.
If you want to see a little Cornish tradition and pride, March is great time to visit Falmouth.
