St George's Day – England’s National Day

HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY!

If you dont know what to do to celebrate St George's Day - join us at Crayford tonight where we will be celebrating in style and raising money for The British Heart Foundation. Wear red and white (and blue) and join in the fun!

St George is best-known for his fight with a dragon, but its highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England. He is always depicted as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross), generally sitting upon a horse and always killing a dragon. The Saint's name was shouted as a battle cry by English knights who fought beneath the red-cross banner of St George during the Hundred Years War (1338-1453). By tradition, April 23rd is the day for a red rose (the national flower) in the button hole. However, unlike other countries, England does not celebrate it like Americans celebrate 4 July with fireworks. In fact, you are more likely to see big St Patrick parades in England celebrating Ireland's National Day, more than you would see any sign of St Georges Day being celebrated. But we will be at Crayford tonight – wear red and white (and blue) and celebrate St George’s Day and raise money for The British Heart Foundation.

Who was the real St George and what did he do to become England's patron saint? 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. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. This emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. Like England, every country in the UK has its own patron saint who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies.

Did you know? Shakespeare was born on April 23rd, 1564 and he died on the same day in 1616.