Saint George's Day 2017: Celebrating the Dragon-Slaying Patron Saint of England
As the month of April draws near, Christian Catholics in several parts of the world are going to pay tribute to the chivalry of St. George, especially in England and other countries where St. George is recognized as the patron saint.
The feast of St. George is included in the General Roman Calendar and is celebrated every April 23. Apart from England, St. George is celebrated as the patron saint in Portugal, Ethiopia, Georgia and some major cities in Russia, Germany, Turkey, and Lebanon. He is also celebrated in Lithuania, Romania and Greece.
The widely shared tale of St. George tells of a time when he had slain a dragon when he served as a soldier in the Roman army. But apart from epic legends of killing a magical creature and saving a princess, reports note that St. George is remembered for his martyrdom during the regime of Emperor Diocletian during the fourth century.
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As the Telegraph notes, England has embraced St. George as their patron saint and recognize him as the very symbol of the nation's principles. Ironically, however, St. George was not even English and it is still uncertain if he has stepped onto the lands of England.
Despite that, St. George's emblem, made up of a red cross on a white background, has been adapted as England's flag and one will see these hanging all over Trafalgar Square and other major destinations and streets around England every 23rd of April.
According to the same Telegraph report, in 1415, April 23 was marked as a national holiday across England to celebrate St. George's Day. However, its grandeur is said to have toned down since England's union with Scotland in 1707.
In this day when every penny counts, the country has refrained from celebrating the way they did centuries before. April 23 has become a normal day at the office. The Telegraph has also mentioned that banks bleed £2.4 billion (or around $2.9 billion) for every lost day of work, but that does not stop the clamor to bring back the tradition of remembering St. George in a big way as there currently are petitions to make St. George's Day a national holiday once more.
