Death of St George
St George’s Day is the feast day of England’s patron saint and is celebrated on 23rd April to commemorate the anniversary of his death in 303 AD.
Also known as The Feast of Saint George, it is a customary celebration of various Christian churches, as well as other nations states and countries, of which Saint George is the patron saint.
This includes Bulgaria Portugal, Romania and Spanish communities such as Aragon and Catalonia.
The legend of Saint George and the Dragon tells the tale of the saint taming and slaying a dragon.
Many people still celebrate St George today – marking the occasion by lighting up buildings in white and red, the colours of the English flag.
Born around AD 280, in what is now known as Cappadocia, Turkey, St George was a Christian martyr and became a soldier in the Roman army.
He later progressed to the role of a personal guard for the Emperor Diocletian.
The emperor was one of the leaders of the Great Persecution of Christians, which saw churches destroyed, scriptures burnt and followers of the religion prohibited from joining the army and assemble for worship.
St George protested against such persecution and remained dedicated to his Christian faith, consequently facing imprisonment and torture.
He was eventually b~headed in Palestine on 23rd April 303 AD.
His head was taken to, and stored, in the church dedicated to him in Rome, while the rest of his body was buried in Lod, Israel.
St George became a legendary figure in English history due to his courage and bravery ~ however he never actually set foot in England.
The country adopted him as its patron saint, with 23rd April being chosen as the date of celebration to mark his death.
King Edward III established the Order of the Garter in his name around 1348, but it wasn’t until the 14th Century that St George was regarded as a special protector of the English.
Following England’s victory at Agincourt in 1415, Archbishop Chichele raised the celebration of St George to a Double Feast.
In addition to his army background and dedication to his faith, St George is famous for fighting a dragon, which typically symbolised the Devil during the Middle Ages.
Legend says that St George fought a dragon and saved a princess in the town of Silene ~ although this is most likely a myth.
According to the legend, the only well in Silene was guarded by a dragon.
Each day, residents had to make human sacrifices in order to access the water.
A princess was the next to be sacrificed, and on the day she was due to be killed, St George bravely fought the dragon to save her.
After St George successfully killed the dragon, the people of Silene were finally granted free access to the well.
As a token of their gratitude, they converted to Christianity.
Since the 18th century, after England and Scotland united in 1707, celebrations have diminished, although some parades and public activities continue to be held every year.
St George’s Cross, England’s flag and part of the Union Jack, is the symbol displayed on 23rd April.
Dating back to the year of 1188, crosses were first used by King Henry II of England and King Philip II of France, for their crusade symbols.
Despite England adopting a white cross at first, it later switched to a red cross, which was used as part of the uniforms of English soldiers in several battles.
Edward I eventually made this symbol a national emblem during his reign.
Today, St George’s cross is used frequently at football, rugby and cricket games, with fans wearing scarves, painting their faces and flying flags to show their support for England.
While St George’s Day celebrations have decreased over time, there are still some parades, music performances and public events held across the country to honour the patron saint.
🏴 St. George Struggling with the Dragon c.1503–1505
By Raphael
Louvre Museum
