St. George's Day is Christian Feast Day; Not a Political Event

St. George's Day is celebrated by several nations of which Saint George is the patron saint, including England, Portugal, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the region of Catalonia (Spain) and the city of Moscow.

For England, St. George's Day also marks its National Day. Most countries who observe St. George's Day, celebrate it on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in 303 AD.

In 2007, Independent writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown condemned St. George’s Day celebrations for being too Anglo-Saxon and demanded that the day should celebrate the multicultural aspects of England today. Critics respond to this by pointing out that it is an English tradition, and it is more sensible for other groups to join the celebration of being English, rather than change the meaning of the day.

The people running the web site at www.stgeorgesday.com are actively campaigning to get 'Our Day' recognised throughout the UK and even to such an extent as being a public or bank holiday. Neither this campaign nor St. George's Day Ltd have any affiliation or association with political organisations.

Quote: "As you may know, other countries all over the world celebrate their patron saint or have other days, the closest to us and probably the most well known is Saint Patrick's Day for Ireland! This day is celebrated all over the UK and also widely in the USA, what about Burns night for Scotland, for a well celebrated Scottish poet where the toasting of his words culminates in the eating of haggis, why then can we not have our own patron saint's day?"

The web site sells various branded items and produces a newsletter.

How Very English

Enjoy England would like you to take afternoon tea to a new level by entering their St George’s Day afternoon tea competition starting at 3.30pm on Wednesday 23 April.

St George’s Day 2008 Afternoon Tea Competition

The Scottish have their Haggis and Whiskey traditions and the Irish just get drunk and then sing and dance all day. Enjoy England (styling themselves as the official tourism web site for England) are having a "tea party".

"Smother some scones with cream and jam, butter some crumpets, make some cucumber sandwiches and bring out the china tea set. To win the competition, you must hold your afternoon tea party in the most unusual place you can think of – at the top of a mountain, in a church tower, on a boat, in a railway carriage – wherever you like. The most imaginative entry will win a bespoke, 3-in diameter bronze medal and a special certificate."

Strewth, somebody should rouse the troops into the nearest pub with a shout of "Cry God for Harry, England and St George we're on an all-day-session!"

George The Dragon and Other Things

The dragon (from Ancient Greek - drakon, "a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon") is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.

So, in modern day, there's no "dragons" (although I did have the misfortune to rent a room in Blackpool from a serpent of huge size and she could "burn" wallets at 30 paces).

How Did George Become a Saint

Around 1,705 years ago, George was stationed in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard attached to Roman Emperor Diocletian.

In 303 Diocletian issued an edict authorizing the systematic persecution of Christians across the Empire. The persecution entailed various tortures, crucifixions and impalements (that's having a big stick stuck up-the-jacksee and then allowing the body weight to eventually slide down the pole... not a nice ending!).

George was ordered to participate in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticized the imperial decision. An enraged Diocletian ordered his torture and execution.

After various tortures, including laceration on a wheel of swords, in which he was miraculously resuscitated three times, George was executed by decapitation before Nicomedia's city wall, on April 23, 303.

A witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians as well, and so they joined George in martyrdom.

His body was returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honour him as a martyr.

A Medieval Best Seller

Later on in history the story of "George and the Dragon" story was resurected to form some fantastic stories. The Golden Legend (Latin: Legenda Aurea) by Jacobus de Voragine (Jacopo da Varagine) is a collection of fanciful hagiographies, lives of the saints, that became a late medieval bestseller. It was probably compiled around 1260.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Legend

So, raise a glass to St George tonight and don't feel to bad about the Dragon.

When most people go on vacation to England they find it hard to leave the capital city of London. Understandably so, as this city makes an ideal vacation destination, but for those who want to experience more of what England has to offer it is worth considering entering the heart of England and discovering its fascinating history. With some fascinating attractions for all the family and historical sites that are truly amazing, every vacation should at least have some of these places contained in the itinerary.

If you are a fan of history your vacation should include a visit to Warwick castle. This is considered one of the most complete medieval fortresses in the whole of England and is a brilliant insight into the world of knights and kings. It was the centre of the Earl of Warwick's powerbase and as such enabled him to control and input on all manner of political decisions throughout history. Exhibitions at the castle include information on Richard Neville, more commonly known as the 'Kingmaker' whom during the 15th century was believed to powerful enough to place anyone he wanted upon the throne of England.

A worthwhile element of any England vacation is a trip to the historic city of Bath. This was once a Roman spa town. The natural spring attracted the Romans to the town who loved a dip in the beneficial waters. The Roman baths are still in existence and give an idea of leisure activities during the Roman period. Located in the county of Somerset, Bath makes an ideal location to vacation the West Country and see the quaintness of the Cotswolds and the Moors of the West of England.

The spiritual history of England is well documented and should be studied whilst on your vacation. While the cathedrals in England rarely the match the grandeur of similar examples on the continent they are still worthy of note. The most notable of these cathedrals and spiritual centre of the English for centuries is located in Canterbury, Kent. A site of a Saxon cathedral it was later the site of the most majestic of English cathedrals. Whilst on your vacation, learning about the infamous murder of Thomas Becket on the site gives a small insight into the quarrels between a king and his spiritual advisor during the twelfth century.

Later examples of the architecture of England should also be included in your vacation itinerary. One fine example of a stately home is Althorp Park. Home to the Spencer family since the sixteenth century, it lies close to Northampton. A point of interest is that Althorp was the family home of Diana, Princess of Wales. Currently a block of the house has been converted into an exhibition to the sadly deceased princess' memory. Althorp is also Diana's last resting place; her body being buried on an island in centre of the estate's lake.

The history of England has been tumultuous in the modern period and seeing part of this history whilst on your vacation should be undertaken. A great museum located in Cambridgeshire, is Duxford. The museum houses a large collection of aircraft and tanks from both world wars as well as commercial aviation pieces.

The one time air force base now gives visitors of all ages a close up view of how the brave pilots and engineers in the world wars carried out their work. Children will love climbing into the cockpits and other displays that really bring history to life. Adults similarly will be fascinated by the Battle of Britain exhibition that reveals the plight of the 'brave few' that halted the Nazi war machine at the shores of France.

History should be integral in any vacation of England. As a country that has played major part in the development of Europe and the world, this history is hard to ignore. While reading about these sites may be insightful, true understanding comes through seeing these places for real. You will find as your vacation comes to an end, your education will have been advanced.

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Last Words from the Bard

William Shakespeare — Date of Birth: 23 April 1564

Now, that chap is an whole other story.

Never mind "Cry God for Harry, England and St George"

Most of them were really pissed most of the time; maybe a true translation of Willies play should read "Mate, we're off to the PUB, sod your war!

Show your fingers men of England.

George would probably approve.

The V sign, when the palm is facing toward the person giving the sign, has long been an insulting gesture in England and later in the rest of the United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland and parts of France. It is frequently used to signify defiance (especially to authority), contempt or derision and is often accompanied by the phrase 'fuck off'.