Happy St George's Day

[Eddie Muir]

Happy St George's Day!

It is also my daughter's birthday and William Shakespeare's birthday. Today is the 450th anniversary of his birth.

[Moonraker]

Yes, Pete; it is a shame we don't have an exclusive saint for our noble country. We Englishmen don't wave the flag enough. Most events where an English person or team appears, you see Union flags - imagine that if it were a Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland team! I have recounted this before, but I was once called a racist for waving a St George's flag by The Embankment when my sons were running a 6.21 miles race once. Unbelievable.

[Deej]

Don't think St George's Day is going down as well here in North Wales!

[Katharine]

I've probably said this before, but I seem to remember that when I was at primary school, we were allowed to come in our Brownie, Guide, Cub or Scout uniforms on St. George's day. I wonder what would happen now if a child tried to do that? I suppose it would be an nightmare, as the schools would have to allow every child to come in different clothes on their national saint's day. I think one of our local schools has children from over 20 different countries, just in one class. You'd end up with there being very few days when all the children would be wearing their school uniforms!

[Courtenay]

Ah, but you have St David's Day, Deej. I find it strange that English people should be thought of as "racist" for flying St George's flag, when no-one seems to mind St Andrew's flag for Scotland, St Patrick's flag for Ireland, or even St Piran's flag for Cornwall! (Or the Welsh flag for Wales. Does St David have a flag, too?)

Having mixed English, Cornish, Scottish, Polish and Belorussian ancestry myself - and coming from Australia - I don't really mind who waves what flag, as long as we all treat each other with respect and kindness! Happy St George's Day to you all.

[Deej]

Ah, but you have St David's Day, Deej.

Of course, you can't beat the daffodil!

[Maggie Knows]

I cant get interested in St George as he had nothing to do with England: why he was selected as patron saint beats me: why not someone like St Cuthbert who had an important role in re-introducing Christianity back to England in the post-Roman era, and you can visit the Farne Islands if you really want to connect...

St David (or Dewi Sant, as they say round where I live) has a real, tangible link to Wales and ditto St Patrick to Ireland (though he was probably Welsh). But St George, no.

[Francis]

Thank you Julie - pity it's not really celebrated in a big way - like St Patrick Day.

[Courtenay]

Of course, you can't beat the daffodil!

Nor the Welsh cakes! Mmmm...

I cant get interested in St George as he had nothing to do with England: why he was selected as patron saint beats me: why not someone like St Cuthbert who had an important role in re-introducing Christianity back to England in the post-Roman era, and you can visit the Farne Islands if you really want to connect...

St David (or Dewi Sant, as they say round where I live) has a real, tangible link to Wales and ditto St Patrick to Ireland (though he was probably Welsh). But St George, no.

Good point. But then, St Andrew had nothing to do with Scotland, either (he was one of Jesus' disciples, the brother of Simon Peter, and came no nearer the British Isles than St George ever did), and that doesn't seem to deter the Scots.

Completely baffled as to how St George came to be patron saint of England in the first place, I just did a web search and found this interesting and helpful short article by historian Ian Mortimer: http://www.ianmortimer.com/essays/George.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Maggie Knows]

Hi, yes, I was aware that the same issue pertains to St Andrew but I've never lived in Scotland so I have no first hand knowledge of what goes on there on his day.

I live in Wales so I know St David's day is significant to the locals.

And St Davids (the tiny city) is a lovely place to visit BTW...

[Lucky Star]

Happy St George's Day everyone. It never fails to amaze me why this day is not a national bank holiday with celebrations to match.

[John Pickup]

I'm raising a glass to St George. God bless him.

[Deej]

Nor the Welsh cakes! Mmmm...

Too right

Maggie, from what I've seen, St David's Day means a lot more to Wales than St George's Day does to the English. I live in a very welsh area in Gwynedd as well where the Welsh Language Society and Plaid Cymru have a big influence.

[Moonraker]

It seems we can be as multi-cultural as we like, as long as we're not English.

[Courtenay]

Just for you, Nigel... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vh-wEXvdW8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;