St. George's Day 2025 and in 2026 year

Considering the history and / or the life of St George, which birthed the St George’s Day, he is recalled to being a patron saint. He was not only a saint; he was but also being legendarily referenced as a soldier in the Roman army who killed a dragon and saved a princess in the course of ministration. This remarkable day could as well be referred to as the Feast of Saint George. And it is celebrated by various Christian Churches and by the several geographical locations and even outside the jurisdictions of the United Kingdom, of which Saint George is the patron saint. The few of the places where this event is recognized are England, and regions of Portugal and Spain - Catalonia and Aragon. As history has it, he died on 23rd April, and this day had since then considered as England’s National Day.

Celebrating St George’s Day

This occasion was being recognized for an official holiday in the way back, but today that is not the case. Meanwhile, it is now an observance that is celebrated with parades, dancing, and other fanfare activities. And these are coupled with colorful displays of the St George’s image on flags being flown on building tops, especially pubs, and a few people wear a red rose on their lapel. The ‘ritual’ Sunday services that are closest to 23rd April, it often includes the hymn ‘Jerusalem,’ written by the poet William Blake. The lineation of this poesy contextualizes the names of places Jesus Christ had to have visited during his youthful days, such as Glastonbury, England, just to mention few.

Every year’s 23rd April is not nationally recognized for a public holiday. This is the reality in the United Kingdom as pupils or students would go to their schools, and employers go to work like it is just another working day. Meanwhile, public transport services would run to their usual routines like it was.

About St George’s Day

The life of St George happened in the country that is today referred to as Turkey, and his birth dated back to the year 280. As an exceptional soldier with high ranks in Roman empire, he became the personal guard to Emperor Diocletian - a rare privilege. Though, unfortunately for him, when he was found to being a Christian somehow, he was executed in April 303 and was interred in Israel in a land called Lod.

He was famously known as a dragon slayer. Legendarily, the only well in the town of Silene was guarded by a dragon. To get access to the water, the inhabitants of the town had to offer a human sacrifice every day to the dragon. And the person to be sacrificed was chosen by lots. On the day that St George was visiting, a princess had been selected to be sacrificed next.

Nevertheless, he killed the dragon, saved the princess, and gave the people of Silene access to water. In gratitude for his service, they all converted to Christianity. It is thought that the dragon is metaphoric as it probably represented some particular type of pagan belief that included the sacrifice of the human-beings way back then, but his influence brought an end to that.

St George’s Day was once recognized or celebrated as widely as Christmas as it is for Christians worldwide. But the celebrations waned by the end of the 18th century after England had united with Scotland on 1st May 1707. Recently, there had been a push, comprising campaigns and petitions, to make the day a public holiday in England, but that is not the case with other nations under the superstructure of the United Kingdom.

More so, he was, in the course of his life, recognized in many places such as Georgia, Ethiopia - Africa, Greece, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Russia as a patron saint. Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada and among the Gorani people who dwelled in a mountainous area in the Balkans recognized and until today celebrate his life. Even people of Gorani, who are now basically Islam-converts centuries back, still remember him and celebrate him. Hence, he is recognized for celebration worldwide not on the 23rd of April but also in November and December too.

Symbols

St George is recognized through cross - one with white background and the cross is white displayed on England’s national flag, for the sake of relevance and unity of the English, it is noticed in the flag of the United Kingdom as well.

Beforehand, the cross on the flag was known with the maritime Republic of Genoa. The payment of the Doge of Genoa in 1190 originated gave the right to protect the ships from London to other parts of the Great Britain. And subsequently, English knights used St George’s cross as part of their uniform during the crusades in both the 1100s and 1200s.

And these days, the cross stands still as it is being used by fans when it comes to football, cricket, and rugby. And this not only comes up on flags but it is even painted on faces and its importance is felt Barcelona in Spain and some locations of Georgia.