Saint George is the patron saint of England. He’s popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry – but actually he wasn’t English at all.
Why is it that we don’t celebrate our patron saint’s day in the same way as the Irish? Why aren’t we in the streets dressed in red and white, wearing a rose and waving the St George Cross? Oh, I forget, we reserve that for the football World Cup. And we all know how successful that is.
Perhaps it is time we had a new saint for England, after all this chap came from Cappadocia, now Turkey, and has no direct connection with England. Very little, if anything, is known about the real Saint George and he obviously hasn’t caught the imagination of the English. George’s reputation grew with the returning crusaders. A miracle appearance, when it was claimed that he appeared to lead crusaders into battle, is recorded in stone over the south door of a church at Fordington in Dorset. This still exists and is the earliest known church in England to be dedicated to Saint George.
April 23 was named as Saint George’s day in 1222 replacing St Edmund who gave his name to the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds. Perhaps it is time to reinstate him?
What are your thoughts? Do you celebrate St George’s Day? Should it be a national holiday? Should we have a new patron saint of England? If so who would you choose?
TRAVEL WORDS 
St. George’s Day passed me by with a vague mention from Himself. You guys need to whoop it up a bit like we do on the Fourth of July!
We are a much more restrained bunch – stiff upper lip and all that 😉
I know that. Loosen up a bit. Yeehaa! Haha. 😉
I don’t think there is an Aussie saint, but we do celebrate Australia day with great gusto. It is a public holiday and being in the middle of summer it is all about barbies, beach, and bottles of beer!!!!
Apparently you have two! Mary Help of Christians and St Mary of the Cross (Mary Helen MacKillop) – god bless the Catholics!
Thanks for the info Jude. I knew about Mary MacKillop she has just recently been canonized, but not heard of the other Mary. Didn’t think they are looked on the same as St George though…
I didn’t know about St Georges, so… No, I’m not celebrating (yet). Maybe next year 😉
The point is that we DON’T celebrate it! So it will simply pass you by… 🙂
Really ? I’ve seen a post earlier about the celebration in London 🙂 Maybe it will become more and more popular 😀 Or maybe not… in any case, we will see 🙂
Jus tack form Barca where they celebrate Sant Jordi.
I walked and walked and walked…then I walked some more! Is that classed as celebrating? 🙂 I don’t want to get into the realms of Polish patron saints 😦
Haha no, I’m sure you don’t! I imagine it is a bit like Malta where they seem to celebrate a saint’s day every week!
Of course I’m far too late for St George’s Day as I attempt my massive catch up, but I agree with you Jude, why can’t we celebrate our English heritage without it being linked to football…or worse? I didn’t know that about Bury St Edmunds (which I know well, having gone to school in Stowmarket, not far away, back in my old Suffolk days!) nor about that church in Fordington on my doorstep now! Love both your pics, the dragon had me laughing but adore your header photo…now if that isn’t very English and worthy of our own patron saint, then I don’t know what is 🙂 xx
You’ll have to visit that church Sherri and get a photograph for me!
Yes, I’ll have to make it my mission 🙂 xx