St George’s Day, when we honour the patron saint of England, should be one of the most celebrated dates in the country's calendar. However most years April 23 goes unnoticed, better known by some as the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.
While St Patrick's Day, St David's Day and St Andrew's Day all arrive to patriotic fanfare, St George’s Day is traditionally less significant and over the years our small nation seems uneasy about how to mark the saint.
Despite the unease, Google have marked the day with a Google Doodle, which recognises the life and lore of England's patron saint. And, if the Duchess of Cambridge gives birth by the end of the day as expected, the new royal baby could bring...
Today England celebrates its patron saint George, the mighty dragon slayer.
As Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calls for the occasion to be made a public holiday, many will be wondering who this mythic figure was and how he came to be associated with England.
George was a Roman soldier, thought to have been born into Greek nobility in Cappadocia - modern Turkey - in 280 AD. He is said to have served the Emperor Dicoletian as a Tribune in the province of Palestine.
A proud Christian, George refused to renounce his faith when Rome later chose to purge its ranks of outside influence during the Great Persecution.
He was imprisoned, tortured, dragged through the streets of the Palestinian city of Lydda and finally beheaded on 23 April 303 AD, rather than apostatise.
His bravery in facing death is said to have so impressed the Empress Prisca that she privately became a Christian.
George's martyrdom inspired King Edward III to make him England's patron saint in 1327 - replacing the Anglo-Saxons' favourite, St Edmund.
Debate still continues today over the choice of national figurehead, with some feeling that George should be replaced by Edmund or another candidate more closely associated with England like St Alban, who is venerated as the first British Christian martyr.
George is also honoured as the patron saint of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal and Serbia; of the regions of Aragon and Catalonia in Spain; and of the cities of Beirut, Genoa, Istanbul, Moscow and Venice.
He is also the saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and farmers, while his invocation is said to help those beset by plague, leprosy or syphilis.
The legend of his slaying a dragon appears to originate in the Eastern Orthodox Church and tales told by warriors during the Crusades.
The story takes place in Silene, a city in Libya that was terrorised by a scaly beast, riddled with plague, who lived in a local lake. The creature demanded an offering of two sheep a day.
When the townsfolk ran out of livestock, they prepared to sacrifice their own children to its unwavering appetite at which point George, a knight errant, intervened to kill the monster and rid the people of its tyranny - on the condition that they converted to Christianity in exchange.
While the fable cannot be taken literally, it has enormous symbolic weight as an image of heroism and gallantry and remains deeply embedded within Christian culture across the world.
In England, the date of George's execution coincides with the birth and death of William Shakespeare, our greatest playwright, who conjures the image of out patron saint in Henry V as the young king rallies his troops before the Battle of Agincourt.
"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'"
While the day itself was once celebrated with feasts similar to those enjoyed on Christmas Day, the occasion's popularity waned in the 18th century following England's union with Scotland.
More recently, flags bearing the Cross of St George have been tarnished by association with violent far-right political groups, skinheads and football hooligans.
But the case for a timely revisionist rereading of George as a positive multicultural icon is a compelling one.
Things you don't know about St George
10 show all Things you don't know about St George
1/10 St George's Day Scientists have haggled over the exact details of the birth of St George for hundreds of years but it is generally put at around 280AD
2/10 St George's Day He was an immigrant. George moved all over the world looking for work, immigrating from Syria to modern day Turkey to look for work
3/10 St George's Day Saint George’s background was about as multicultural as you can get, he was born in Syria to a Greek family
4/10 St George's Day He spread new religious ideas from abroad. For centuries the Roman Empire had worshiped its native pagan gods. George came to fame because he spread his foreign, Middle Eastern, religion to western civilization
5/10 St George's Day Saint George isn’t just the patron saint of England: He’s the patron saint of Bulgaria, Palestine, Ethiopia, Greece and Lithuania
6/10 St George's Day He joined the Roman army and went on to become one of their finest soldiers Getty
7/10 St George's Day As an immigrant with a foreign religion, Saint George was at the receiving end of discrimination and persecution from the Roman authorities
8/10 St George's Day All the other countries in the UK get days off on their saint’s day but not England
9/10 St George's Day King Edward III was a big fan of George and decided to make him the patron saint of England
10/10 St George's Day The earliest known depictions of the dragon slaying story comes from 10th or 11th Century Cappadocia and Georgia in which George dispatched a giant monster living in lake in Libya
He was, after all, an immigrant from a diverse background who fought for his adopted cause without compromising his beliefs - mixing with people from across Europe in the Roman legions - and knew the pain and sorrow of being victimised for his principles.
The revival of interest in George as an emblem of national pride has been encouraged in recent years by the likes of English Heritage, the Scouts and by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during his tenure as Mayor of London.
Parts of England do still honour George with annual fetes and pageants and traditional entertainments like morris dancing and Punch and Judy shows, while pubs fly the flag and "Jerusalem" rings out in churches and chapels.
In a World Cup year, his reclamation as a more positive icon of English patriotism might be timely.
How much do you know of the traditions and legends associated with him across Europe?
St George’s Day is England’s patron saint’s day – reputedly Shakespeare’s birthday, with the possibility we might get a new royal baby today, and the promise that a future Labour government would make it a holiday for all.
But Saint George is a truly pan-European saint, with traditions and celebrations associated with his martyrdom and legendary dragon-slaying taking place across the continent. How much do you know about Saint George and St George’s Day traditions around Europe? Find out with our quiz
Take our St George’s Day quiz
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It's the one day of the year, apart from major football tournaments, when you are guaranteed to see English flags being waved proudly across the country.
April 23 is a national day of celebration about all things English - and royal fans look set to be doubly delighted with the arrival of Prince William and Kate's third baby imminent.
But St George's Day isn't honoured as widely as those of other patron saints - St Patrick being a notable example.
Very little is known about St George, his annual feast, or why we celebrate him.
We take a look at all the facts you need to know about England's national day...
When is St George's Day?
(Image: Reuters)
St George’s Day is celebrated on April 23 every year.
It is honoured by various Christian churches and by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which St George is the patron saint.
St George’s Day was named as early as 1222 – but only one in five people in England actually know what day it’s on.
In 1415 St George's Day became a national feast day and holiday in England. But after the union with Scotland in the 18th century it ceased to become a national holiday.
(Image: Google)
Now most people only mark the day with a flag.
Historically people would wear a rose on their chests. Roses became a symbol of the patron saint because a beautiful bloom is thought to have grown on his grave. This also came from a tradition in Catalonia in Spain - of which St George is also a patron saint - where women would give men a book and receive a rose in return on the feast day.
William Shakespeare is thought to have been born and died on the same date as St George, so you can celebrate with games and acting workshops at the Globe Theatre as well as traditional hog roasts and medieval-themed frolicking.
Who was St George?
(Image: Getty)
The patron saint of England has become famous from stories that he slayed a dragon and saved a distressed maiden.
But actually very little is known about his life that is not myth and legend.
He is believed to have been born in Palestine in the 3rd Century AD to Christian parents and is also the patron saint of many other places around the world.
St George is thought to have first lived in Lydda, near modern day Tel Aviv.
He was a soldier in the Roman Army like his father and quickly rose up the ranks. He was later tortured and a number of medieval tales detail the awful punishments he was said to have endured - including being boiled and crushed between spiked wheels - because he refused to give up his Christian faith.
He was executed on the 23rd April 303 AD for refusing to stop being a Christian when asked by Emperor Diocletian - who had begun a campaign against Christians.
St George is believed to have been dragged through the streets of Lydda in Palestine and then beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith.
His life and suffering also inspired medals for valour and bravery.
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The George Cross is the highest such award that a civilian can earn and is awarded for extraordinary bravery and courage in the face of extreme danger. The George Medal is second behind it.
Both medals depict the patron saint slaying the dragon atop his mighty steed, as detailed in myths about the patron saint.
Other things St George is the patron saint of include farmers and other agricultural workers, butchers, horses, horseriders and saddlemakers, and also soldiers.
He was also later made patron saint of Scouting because of his ideals.
And, unfortunately he has also become known as the patron saint of a number of diseases including herpes, leprosy, skin diseases and syphilis. Some legends state this is due to him helping others.
Why is he patron saint of England?
(Image: Getty)
St George represents traditional English chivalry and bravery, but he was not actually English at all.
In fact, he never even set foot on British shores.
The heroic story of St George became popular in 1483, when it was published in a book called The Golden Legend.
The decision to make him patron saint was made by King Edward III when he formed the Order of the Garter in St George's name in 1350. The badge of the order depicts George slaying a dragon.
April 23, supposedly the date of his death in 303 AD, was adopted in the early 13th Century, as the date of the annual celebration.
The cult of the St George was further advanced by Henry V at the battle of Agincourt.
Before the armies clashed, Shakespeare had the immortal phrase: "Cry God for Harry, England and St. George."
Many believed they had seen the saint fighting for the English - further cementing his place in history. In 1415 St George became the official patron saint of England.
England’s flag is the emblem that Saint George famously wore on his shield or banner.
Richard the Lionheart adopted it in the 12th century, and soldiers wore the Red Cross to distinguish themselves from the enemy in battle.
St George is also the patron saint of several other countries – including Germany, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Palestine, Ethiopia, Serbia, Slovinia, Lithuania, Portugal, Malta and Montenegro.
Did he really slay a dragon?
(Image: Wales News Service)
In a word, no. It's easy to forget, but dragons don't actually exist.
The legend tells of a single well in the village of Silene, guarded by the ferocious beast. Villagers had been giving it sheep to stop it attacking people, and then started sacrificing humans.
St George arrived just as a princess was about to be offered and like a true hero saved her in the nick of time, according to the Golden Legend. The King is then said to have set up a church of Our Lady and St George.
Medieval chronicler Jacobus de Voragine compiled similarly bizarre stories about other saints in his book Golden Legend and is entirely to blame for his association with the story.
Unsurprisingly, the book became something of a bestseller!
