Happy St. George's Day

St. George is the patron saint of England and so today the English  can celebrate their nationality.  It often goes uncelebrated and certainly does not bear comparison to the national days in Scotland, Ireland or Wales.  It is a shame that the flag is often appropriated by extremist elements of society as their standard.Therefore it is more important  for the moderate majority to display  St. George's Cross as often as possible and to reclaimthe this flag which has been used since 11900 when it was raised on English ships entering the Mediterranean.

City Arms of Moscow

England is not unique in celebrating St. George, or indeed, in perpetuating the legend of him slaying  a dragon to rescue a damsel in distress.

He was a Roman soldier  and is venerated in many countries including Egypt,  Palestine, Iraq, India and Russia.

The city arms of Moscow depict St. George slaying the dragon although the damsel is missing.

  

 

 

St. George slaying the dragon by Bernat Martorell

Most Christian churches honour St. George and it seems that the legend involving the dragon may have been originated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

Unusually for Christian saints, St. George is also venerated by Muslims.

He was beheaded on 23rd April 303AD for refusing to worship the Roman gods and was buried in his home town of Lydda in Palestine. which is now Lod 15 miles south of Tel Aviv.