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Happy Leek-Wearing Day, Wales!

The badge of the Welsh Guards

One of the symbols of Wales is the leek, because supposedly Saint David urged Welsh soldiers to snatch leeks from the field in which they were fighting the Saxons, and place them on their helmets/hats, so that they could recognize one another.  Why a  6th c. extremely pious and ascetic monk was in the middle of a raging battle we do not know...

(In fact much is not known about David, naturally.)

But, the good Saint, whose monks were required to plough their fields themselves, without animals, died on March 1, and to honor him many in Wales wear leeks on this day. ( Or cook up potato leek soup?)

 

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