England: St George's Day

Yesterday was St George's Day - officially England's national day. And I only found out because a Chinese friend of mine mentioned it on Facebook! It's SO not a big deal back in London. This is probably partly because it's not a public holiday (always guaranteed to be more memorable to Brits!) and we're generally uninterested in things with religious connotations. But to be honest, St Patrick's Day* isn't a London holiday either - and we see more celebrations for that in the capital than for George.

Each of the states in the British Isles has a 'patron saint' (a sort of 'mascot saint'). Saints are characters (I am not sure how many were real people, how many are myth?) that were awarded the sainthood by doing something very laudible in the Christian faith.

St George is England's patron saint, and his cross forms the English flag (red cross, white background - also incorporated into the British Union Jack flag). In fact, it turns out he was a Roman soldier from Syria who existed around the 3rd century AD - and he's a pretty big deal internationally. In folklore, his famous and laudible action was to slay a dragon and save a princess.

It seems the soldier and Christian martyr George did really exist. But the tales of his dragon-killing adventures did not appear until around 1000 years after his death - and might not be true!

In the myth, George reportedly saved a Silenian princess, who was decked out in bridal gear and offered as a sacrifice to the dragon. Visions of Harry Hamlin on a winged horse spring to mind? The tale could well be an adaptation of the ancient Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda, though other old myths also fit the bill.

Unfortunately in the past few decades, the cross of St George (and Union Jack) were used as emblems for the English fanatical and violent right wing, and thus have a bad image. Perhaps this is also a reason why the bulk of English citizens somewhat ignore St George's Day? But the brand is changing a bit today, and there are movements to reclaim both flags as inclusive and patriotic rather than as a sign of bigotry. In fact I think there is also a lobby to make St George's Day a national holiday.. let's see how that pans out!

Famous painting of St George and the Dragon, by Paolo Uccello, 1456

*St Patrick - Ireland's patron saint. On St Patrick's day even in England you will still find celebrations, and people wearing daft hats (usually orange/green or with Shamrock leaf motifs) going on drinking binges. Scotland has St Andrew, Wales has St David - neither of which we hear much about in England, though I am sure they are celebrated locally!