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Celebrate... St George's Day
Posted 23/04/24
St George's Day is celebrated annually on 23 April, recognised as England's national day to mark the death of the Patron Saint of England, who is thought to have died around AD 303 when he was tortured and executed in Palestine, becoming an early Christian martyr.
Legends of Saint George
Legend has it that St George slew an evil dragon that was plaguing a local town and saved a princess. It is traditionally a Christian celebration as the story goes that St George offered to kill the dragon only if the town converted to Christianity.
Historical evidence however points to the 'real' St George, living in Palestine in the third century who followed in his father's footsteps to became a soldier in the Roman army, and was executed for his Christian beliefs. St George is also patron saint of Georgia and the Russian city of Moscow.
St George’s Day became a national holiday in England in the early 15th century, remaining until the tradition dwindled after the union with Scotland in the late 18th century.
Recognised Symbols
The most widely recognized symbol of St George's Day is St George's cross. This is a red cross on a white background, which is often displayed as a flag. It is used as England's national flag, forming part of the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Saint George's cross was originally the flag of the maritime Republic of Genoa. Around 1190, the King of England started paying the Doge of Genoa to protect ships originally from the city of London and the rest of England that sailed in the Mediterranean.
During the crusades in the 1100s and 1200s, English knights used St George's cross as part of their uniform. It has been the official flag of England for centuries, but the Union Flag, a combination of St George's cross, St Andrew's cross and St Patrick's cross, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Now Saint George's cross is used as a national symbol by fans of the English national football, rugby and cricket teams. At international matches, flags and scarves bearing this cross are worn and people paint it on their faces. It is also has a prominent place on the arms of the City of London and the flags of the city of Barcelona, Spain, and the country of Georgia.
St George's Day Traditions
Unfortunately, St George’s Day is no longer a public holiday in England, unlike Scotland (St Andrew’s Day) and Ireland (St Patrick’s Day).
While it used to be observed much like Christmas, celebrations started to wane in the early 18th century. However, there are calls for it to be observed as a national holiday.
Celebration often includes a feast hosted by the Church of England. You can hold your own with traditional English foods such as Yorkshire puddings, cottage pie, mushroom and stilton tarts, kedgeree, shepherd’s pie, and fish cakes.
Or don a red rose - if you believe the tale where St George gifted the princess a flower upon saving her.
Want to Learn More?
Learn more about St George Day on the English Heritage website or BBC Newsround. Or check out these videos below!
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