April 23rd is St. George's day. It is Englands National day.




St. George is the patron saint of England, you may already know that his emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and is part of the British flag. In the 12th Century St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England. It was worn by the King's soldiers on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

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So who was the real St. George?

St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.

Quick facts about the real St. George

Saint George is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn’t English at all. Very little is known about the man who became St George.

Quick Facts about St George

* Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)
* Lived in 3rd century
* His parents were Christian
* Became a Roman soldier
* Protested against Rome's persecution of Christians
* Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith
* Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine

St. George is believed to have been born in Cappadocia (now Eastern Turkey) in the year A.D. 270. He was a Christian. At the age of 17 he joined the Roman army and soon became renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith.

When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George's pleas fell on deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him. St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23 April, 303.

It was only in 1222 that the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St George’s Day and he replaced Edward the Confessor as England’s patron saint in the 14th century. In 1415, April 23 was made a national feast day.

You may be surprised to know...

St George is not only patron saint of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine and Portugal amongst others, although he is celebrated on different days in different Countries.

St George is also patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis.




So what's the story with the Dragon?

The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. The slaying of the dragon by St George was first credited to him in the twelfth century, long after his death. It is therefore likely that the many stories connected with St George's name are fictitious.

There are many versions of story of St George slaying the dragon, but most agree on the following:

1. A town was terrorised by a dragon.
2. A young princess was offered to the dragon
3. When George heard about this he rode into the village
4. George slayed the dragon and rescued the princess