Topical Talkers

Saint George's Day.

Think of St George and you’re probably picturing a heroic knight slaying a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon. As the country’s patron saint, today St George’s story is as iconic as his white and red flag.
A feast day of St George has been celebrated in England for hundreds of years on 23 April, which was possibly the date of his martyrdom. Following the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, St George’s Day became one of the most important feast days in the English calendar.
History of Saint George’s Day.
Saint George is said to be born around the year 280 A.D. in the region of Turkey. He started as a soldier in the Roman Army and eventually rose up the ranks, becoming a personal guard to Emperor Diocletian. Saint George is popularly known for slaying a dragon. According to the legend, the town of Silene had only one well and it was guarded by a dragon. The inhabitants of the town had to make a human sacrifice every day to get water from the well. One day Saint Goerge was visiting and a princess had been selected for sacrifice. Saint George saved the princess, killed the dragon, and gave the people of Silene easy access to the well. After this act of bravery, the town people converted to Christianity
Saint George was Christian at the time Rome was ruled by Emperor Diocletian, who was an anti-Christian. He refused to bow down and make sacrifices for the Roman gods. This brought a lot of torture on him and finally, he was beheaded for being a Christian on April 23, 303 A.D. He is buried in Israel in the town of Lod.
His legends speak of rescuing maidens, slaying dragons, and saving people. These stories emerged in the 11th century and eventually became famous in parts of Asia and all of Europe. St. George is appreciated and celebrated the most in England.
Saint George being the country’s patron saint, is as iconic as the white and red flag.
George Cross Medal.
In 1940 King George VI created a new award for acts of the greatest heroism or courage in circumstance of extreme danger. The George Cross, named after the king, bears the image of St George vanquishing the dragon. In the U.K., the highest medal a civilian can earn for his bravery and courage is the George Cross Medal.
Patron of various things and people.
St. George is the patron saint of sufferers of skin diseases, plague, leprosy, butchers, horses, farmers, horse riders and soldiers.
He never visited England.
Although St George never visited England, his reputation for virtue and holiness spread across Europe and his feast day – the 23rd April – was celebrated in England from the 9th century onwards.
He became popular with English kings. Edward I (1272-1307) had banners bearing the emblem of St George (a red cross on a white background) and Edward III (1327-77) had a strong interest in the saint and owned a relic of his blood. The St George cross was not used to represent England until the reign of Henry VIII.