Many people in England commemorate St. George, the nation's patron saint, on April 23.
Not only is St. George the patron saint of England.
Additionally, he is in this position (second only to Saint Mark) for Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa, and Venice.
England's national flag, the flag of Saint George, which consists of a red cross on a white backdrop, is integrated into the Union Flag, which represents the United Kingdom.
Who was Saint George?
There are many mythical and legendary stories about George, but very little is truly known about him.
It is thought that he lived in the third century and was born in a region known as Cappadocia, which is now in Turkey.
Both of George's parents were Christians, and following the death of his father, his mother brought him to live in the Middle East, where she was born.
George enlisted in the Roman army but continued to voice his disapproval of Rome's mistreatment of Christians.
Because of this, he was imprisoned and subjected to torture, yet he remained true to his religious convictions. In the end, he was put to death.
According to legend, the wife of the Roman Emperor was so moved by George's steadfast adherence to his faith that she converted to Christianity as well.
She was presumably put to death in the same manner as George.
What about the dragon?
When St. George's name is mentioned, a common story that comes to mind is the one about him killing a dragon.
When this tale was published in a book titled The Golden Legend in 1483, it quickly gained popularity.
According to legend, George arrived in a place named Silene, in the nation of Libya, where there lived a dragon.
To deter the dragon from invading, the city's residents fed it lambs every day, but eventually they ran out of livestock!
As a result, they had to choose local residents to offer as animal sacrifices.
The town's residents objected, arguing that since they were expected to give their loved ones to the dragon, then the monarch had no right to defend his daughter when she was chosen.
The princess informed George about the events in the town when she saw him ready to be sacrificed to the dragon.
When the dragon appeared, legend has it that George fought it, subdued it, and placed a collar around its neck.
People were frightened when they saw the defeated dragon being brought by the princess into the city! George reassured them to trust in God and not worry.
The monster was eventually slain and the settlement became a Christian community.
Why is St George the patron saint of England?
We do know, however, that St. George was not truly an Englishman. It is also thought that he might not have entered the nation at all!
Since they feel that St. Edmund is more English and deserving of the title, some people have actively pushed for St. Edmund to be named the patron saint of England; nevertheless, this has not happened.
Storytelling about King Arthur and his knights greatly influenced King Edward III (1327–77) in the 14th century, who established the Order of the Garter in 1348. One unique order of knights was the Order of the Garter, which is still in existence today.
St. George continues to be a significant representation of knighthood in this nation because he was appointed the patron saint of this Order, and its emblem shows George defeating the dragon.
How is St George's Day celebrated?
Customary events typically include church services, parades, and fetes, as well as traditional English pastimes like morris dancing.
If you're feeling very inventive, you could even use the paper scraps to make some flag bunting to hang in your home.
Maybe you could sketch St. George or his flag and hang it in your window so the other kids can see it.
You may even dress up as a dragon or a knight from one of the myths that surround St. George.
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