April 23rd is Britains' National Day.
The Feast Day of St George who, whilst he is Patron Saint of England, appears not to have been English, a fact offering an interesting dilemma for those wishing to use him to promote Englishness as a virtue above all others, but some comfort to the many nations and peoples and cultures which have gone into making England the country it is.
When we were in Genoa at Christmas we were looking for a Birthday present for one of our Grandchildren and we settled on a T Shirt, always a popular choice.
But our search for a T Shirt taught us that St George is also the Patron Saint of Genova and the wider district of Liguria and whilst T Shirts bearing the slogan 'I love Genoa' were widely available (at a price!) alongside this ubiquitous design were shirts bearing the red cross of St George on a white background.
In fact the Red Cross of St George is probably more appropriate here in Genoa than in England because for nearly a thousand years all over the Mediterranean Sea, a red cross on a white background meant meant the City of Genoa, and ships who sailed under that flag enjoyed the protection of The Doges. Seemingly the red cross on a white field, was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Geonoese fleet a benefit for which, apparently, they paid..
Nevertheless, presumably using the principle of never letting the facts get in the way of a good story there are in England patriotic societies dedicated to St George and there is an active campaign to declare St George's day a National Holiday, although it was apparently suggested by the PM that rather than an additional public holiday, May Day, or International Labour Day, is swapped for St George.
Engels would be spinning in his grave at such a suggestion!
When I worked at the Cathedral in Bradford, the St Georges Society gave a flag with the Red Cross on a White background and at a special service of Holy Communion on the nearest Sunday to April 23rd, using the Book of Common Prayer, to a setting by Haydn, (all very traditional and patriotic) the flag was dedicated and the service always ended with the singing of National Anthem introduced by the Provost declaring: God Save the Queen.
April 23rd is a good day to recall Englands Patron Saint whose day is widely shared across Europe.
Various versions of the story describe both bravery, the confronting and slaying of the Dragon that has occupied the entrance to a spring and then demands sacrifices starting with lambs and bullocks and then upping the price for access to the essential water until he is demanding young maidens as a scrifice at which St George appears, slays the dragon and rescues the maiden who is also a princess.
His act of valour causes the grateful inhabitants of the village to abandon paganism and convert to Christianity.
Definitely a good story and an ideal saint to have on your side if dragons have pitched camp over your spring and are devouring your maidens.
There are various other stories of Martyrdom on spinning wheels with sharp knives and he even appears in Muslim writings despite his association with the crusades, where he is also depicted as a martyr, so he is really a kind of saint for all seasons, times, places and people .
From Georgia (always on my mind) to the Georgian Steppes, from Gaudi's Barcelona to Stockholm Georges' fame has spread far and wide across the world.
Whatever the truth and indeed whether he existed at all or whether his reputation is simply the stuff of legend he is St George of England and he is our National Saint and April 23rd is the day when we recall his Martyrdom.
Should it be a National Holiday? of course!
Should it replace Labour Day? Absolutely not, you can't have enough public holidays in a big society!
The Feast Day of St George who, whilst he is Patron Saint of England, appears not to have been English, a fact offering an interesting dilemma for those wishing to use him to promote Englishness as a virtue above all others, but some comfort to the many nations and peoples and cultures which have gone into making England the country it is.
When we were in Genoa at Christmas we were looking for a Birthday present for one of our Grandchildren and we settled on a T Shirt, always a popular choice.
But our search for a T Shirt taught us that St George is also the Patron Saint of Genova and the wider district of Liguria and whilst T Shirts bearing the slogan 'I love Genoa' were widely available (at a price!) alongside this ubiquitous design were shirts bearing the red cross of St George on a white background.
In fact the Red Cross of St George is probably more appropriate here in Genoa than in England because for nearly a thousand years all over the Mediterranean Sea, a red cross on a white background meant meant the City of Genoa, and ships who sailed under that flag enjoyed the protection of The Doges. Seemingly the red cross on a white field, was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Geonoese fleet a benefit for which, apparently, they paid..
Nevertheless, presumably using the principle of never letting the facts get in the way of a good story there are in England patriotic societies dedicated to St George and there is an active campaign to declare St George's day a National Holiday, although it was apparently suggested by the PM that rather than an additional public holiday, May Day, or International Labour Day, is swapped for St George.
Engels would be spinning in his grave at such a suggestion!
When I worked at the Cathedral in Bradford, the St Georges Society gave a flag with the Red Cross on a White background and at a special service of Holy Communion on the nearest Sunday to April 23rd, using the Book of Common Prayer, to a setting by Haydn, (all very traditional and patriotic) the flag was dedicated and the service always ended with the singing of National Anthem introduced by the Provost declaring: God Save the Queen.
April 23rd is a good day to recall Englands Patron Saint whose day is widely shared across Europe.
Various versions of the story describe both bravery, the confronting and slaying of the Dragon that has occupied the entrance to a spring and then demands sacrifices starting with lambs and bullocks and then upping the price for access to the essential water until he is demanding young maidens as a scrifice at which St George appears, slays the dragon and rescues the maiden who is also a princess.
His act of valour causes the grateful inhabitants of the village to abandon paganism and convert to Christianity.
Definitely a good story and an ideal saint to have on your side if dragons have pitched camp over your spring and are devouring your maidens.
There are various other stories of Martyrdom on spinning wheels with sharp knives and he even appears in Muslim writings despite his association with the crusades, where he is also depicted as a martyr, so he is really a kind of saint for all seasons, times, places and people .
From Georgia (always on my mind) to the Georgian Steppes, from Gaudi's Barcelona to Stockholm Georges' fame has spread far and wide across the world.
Whatever the truth and indeed whether he existed at all or whether his reputation is simply the stuff of legend he is St George of England and he is our National Saint and April 23rd is the day when we recall his Martyrdom.
Should it be a National Holiday? of course!
Should it replace Labour Day? Absolutely not, you can't have enough public holidays in a big society!
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