Take a Leek for Saint Davy

leeks

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Today is Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gwyl Dewi). Saint David (Dewi Sant) is the patron saint of Wales. On this day many Welsh hie themselves to their local purveyor of leeks, take a leek, and affix it to their lapel or hat. Lacking a real leek, some will instead use Peter's Leek (Cenhinen Pedr), the daffodil. Even good old Henry V, at least, per Willy the Shakes:

Fluellen: "If your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps, which your Majesty knows, to this hour is an honourable badge of the service, and I do believe, your Majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day".

King Henry: "I wear it for a memorable honour; for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman".

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My apologies to the Cymru, but the best I can do is a scaled down version.

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This is an update of a column I first published at Daily Kos in 2015 and have sporadically
published here and there ever since.

everybody be well and have a good one

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QMS's picture

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guess it would be in the lapel or hat?
Honor thy onion as it is most holy today
for reasons.

Spoke to a Libyan Christian today pumping my gas.
Somehow seem to initiate religious / political discussions
just by saying $50 of regular. Said he was
proud of killing Islam kids to protect nuns.
He was a kid too, 16 years old. Thought to fight for the faith.
Shot them in the head and it felt good, at the time, I guess.
Kinda weird the service you get these days.

Made me think of religious wars. And leaks on the
masses. Holy be the killing we do for righteousness.

Amen.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

the Welsh in order to distinguish themselves from invading saxons since both sides wore similar armor.

Interesting that your Libyan informant thought of specifically protecting nuns; projection perhaps?

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

QMS's picture

@enhydra lutris
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the obvious was his pride in protecting some christian value by killing others
scary shit, guess that is how they think in the Middle East?

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

everywhere, the Crusades, sure, but the Albigensian Crusade, the Northern Crusades, the Religious wars in Europe between differing sects, etec.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Sima's picture

@QMS
would have done? I bet he wouldn't have killed kids. Christian values indeed Sad

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so