23 April, St. George's Day

George is a popular name in England. So far there have been six King Georges, and one of the Beatles was also called George: George Harrison, of course. George is a popular name because St. George is the country’s patron saint. His feast day is on April 23rd, the same day as Shakespeare’s birthday. St. George’s Day is a big day for the English, even if it’s probably not as important as St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th) is for the Irish.

FACT AND FICTIOn

When you think about it, St. George is a strange choice for an English patron saint. St. Patrick was a missionary in Ireland, but St. George never went to England. He was a Roman soldier who was tortured and martyred in Palestine in 303 AD. This was because he refused to renounce his Christianity. There is also a legend that he once killed a dragon. This is hard to believe, but then so is the theory that there aren’t any snakes in Ireland because St. Patrick banished them.

INTERNATIONAL

The other unusual thing about St. George is that he is also popular in other countries, particularly Spain and Italy. His red and white flag — known as The St. George’s Cross — is also the symbol of the cities of Barcelona, Genoa and Milan. The cult of St. George began to develop in Europe at the time of the Crusades.

POLITICS AND CULTURE

The George Cross is also the name of  an important medal. This is for civilians, while the Victoria Cross is for the military. There are parades on St. George’s Day, but they are less colourful than the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin and New York.

There are many pubs called The George and Dragon all over the UK. Many English people spend at least a couple of hours of St. George’s Day at the local pub. The George and Dragon is not, however, the most common pub name in England: according to the British Beer and Pub Association, it is The Red Lion.