Friday 23 April 2010

Happy St George's Day!


Saint George is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn’t English at all. Very little is known about the man who became St George.

Quick Facts about St George

  • Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)
  • Lived in 3rd century
  • His parents were Christian
  • Became a Roman soldier
  • Protested against Rome's persecution of Christians
  • Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith
  • Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine

St. George is believed to have been born in Cappadocia (now Eastern Turkey) in the year A.D. 270. He was a Christian. At the age of seventeen he joined the Roman army and soon became renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith.

When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George's pleas fell on deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him. St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23 April, 303.

In 1222, the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St George’s Day and he replaced Edward the Confessor as England’s patron saint in the 14th century. In 1415, April 23 was made a national feast day.

St George is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Bteghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow.

St George is also patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers.

So, if you are a George, Georgina, Georgia or Georgie - enjoy your day!


11 comments:

  1. Happy St Georges day! Great facts about our patron saint!

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  2. I've just found out on another blog that St George was in fact Turkish!!! What can I say - gutted!!!
    xxxx

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  3. Actually that sounds a bit off!! I'm just shocked that our patron saint is not English!!
    xxxx

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  4. And also to you. I hadnt an England flag to fly so have had to fly the Union flag instead, but my heart is in the right place.

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  5. Always liked St. George, but sortof felt sorry for the dragon, even if he was allegorical.

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  6. Happy St Georges! What great facts too!

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  7. Happy St George's Day - Thanks for all that info. Very appropriate background for the saint of this very multi-cultural nation

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  8. Happy belated St. Georges Day. :) xxx

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  9. Daughter came home yesterday evening with this gem passed on by a teacher friend.
    Teacher taking assembly with 11-13year olds: 'Who can tell me who St George was?'
    Yr 7 pupil: 'Please Miss, St George invented England - and he had a pet dragon.'

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  10. Great fact about St Georges day
    Julie xxxxxxxx

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