St George is the patron or national saint of England, and several other countries including Georgia. In fact St George was from the eastern region of what is now Turkey. He lived in the 3rd century, and as an early Christian resisted the Romans.
Most people associate St George with the story that he killed a dragon, in order to rescue a princess being held captive by the monster. Some historians think this legend may be based on the way George helped to "kill" old pre-Christian or pagan beliefs and customs.
The George Cross (red on a white background) is the official flag of England, incorporated into the Union Flag of Britain. St George's Day is on 23 April, an important day in Britain as it is also believed that Shakespeare was born and died on this day.
23 April isn't an official public holiday, although some people would like to see its importance as a national day increased.
St. George's Day is celebrated in all those countries that regard St. George as the patron saint. It is celebrated on 23 April every year. Besides England, other countries that celebrate St. George's Day include Portugal, Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece, etc. In Georgia, St. George's Day is celebrated two times every year, once on May 6 and again on November 23. The legend of St. George is from the Roman times. He was originally a Roman soldier in the 3rd century A.D. who rose to be a Comes or a Count in the Roman army. He was a Christian, and protested against the persecution of Christians that the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered. He was tortured for his protest and his revelation that he was a Christian himself, and was executed on 23 April, 303.
St. George's Day is not known to many of the people of England, though St. George is considered England's patron saint. Nowadays, parades and other such features are being organized to mark the day. St. George's emblem is also the national flag of England, and is a red cross against a white background.
Georgia, Bulgaria, Portugal, England, Catalonia and Gora are some of the few countries who consider Saint George as their patron Saint and celebrate 23rd April as Saint George's day which is accepted as the death anniversary of Saint George. Patron saints are those who are called in time of difficulty and they have save their respective countries from enemies. Each country in United Kingdom has a dedicated patron saint.
The history of Saint George is as that he was born in Cappadocia in A.D 270. He was a Christian by Faith and joined the Roman army in his teenage around 17 or 18. Although he served under an Emperor who was adherent of polytheistic religion but he never forgot the beliefs of Christianity.
He was sent on many missions by the Emperor and was known for his bravery. On one of the missions he came to England and during his stay in England he found out that Emperor was slaying all the Christians so he came back to Rome and pleaded the Emperor to spare their lives and not indulge in barbarism. He did not give up his faith and belief and was beheaded on 23 April. How he became the patron saint of England? He was famous from the early crusades in England and it is believed that Norman saw him in a vision.
Some myth is associated like St George killed a dragon but Dragon used to represent evil in those days so maybe this is just a myth. However, Saint George is famous all around the world as the Dragon slayer saint of England. Different countries celebrate St George day at different dates.
Who was St. George?The story of how St. George, the patron saint of England, overcame the monstrous dragon is known to everyone, but no one is quite sure how he came to be adopted as our patron saint, or even whether he ever lively adopted a man as our patron saint who is supposed to have made a huge fortune selling bacon to the Roman army! We do know that there was a man called George who was venerated as a saint in Palestine in the early days of the church; but, apart from the legend that he held a high position in the Roman army and served in Britain for a short time, none of the details of his life can be proved.
But probably the only historical fact that we can find about St. George is that, in the year 303 A.D., he was martyred during the furious persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian. The Golden Legend —a collection of the lives of the saints, compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa—tells us that St. George, after slaying the dragon, took off his knightly clothes and gave everything he had to the poor. He taught about Jesus Christ until he finally died a martyr in the year 303.
St. George was adopted as our patron saint during the time of the Norman kings of England. In 1346, the Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III. In the insignia, the George, which represents St. George and the dragon, is suspended from the collar. Some years later, the magnificent St. George's Chapel was built by Edward IV at Windsor. It was here, during the reign of Henry V, that a heart, thought to be St. George's heart, was placed as a precious relic.
