[Northkeep] The festival of St. Ignore de Messge

[Anawyn at aol.com]

Yes, yes but do you indeed know the origin of this?  It would seem it goes 
back quite far, to a means of honoring St. Kale of Colecrop, who had scorned the 
up-to-then tradition of young maidens wearing lettuce leaves strung about 
their necks. 
It was at that earlier time, the custom for the young men to gather around 
the bevy of beauties in the town, in a kind Morris dance, while singing "Oh Come 
Lettuce Adore 'Em." The lettuce leaves, being fragile, were of course wilted 
before many hours, and this is supposed to have caused some dismay to young 
Kale. St. Kale, who remained a virgin all her life, was reported to have said, " 
I would have leaf as worn cabbage, rather than endure such a salad as this!"
The cabbage leaves, being more substantial, held up better through the 
process and the other young women apparently agreed with Kale, and adopted the new 
custom. Well, as the young men then began to poke fun at them with various 
jibes and jokes, the young women decided that, if these young men wanted their 
company indeed, then they would have to take them at their worst to prove their 
love. They boiled the cabbage leaves the next year and made them into saur 
kraut neck chains to show their mettle, and to see how much the men really loved 
them after all.
Thus came to be the old saying in St. Ignore:
 Kraut, kraut, cast about, whether you be tall or stout, 
Love me still though this chain I flout,
Lest your true heart should prove in doubt,
And I in sorrow am left to pout,
Kraut, kraut cast about!

Don't you just love the old legends? (sigh)
Anawyn :-)