For many year England’s National Day, St George’s Day on 23 April, has passed by with only small pockets of celebration and little acknowledgement of the day. A survey by the Government agency revealed that 82 per cent of the public know that St George’s Day falls on 23 April, but fewer than 20 per cent of the population actually celebrates the occasion.This year, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson, has said “St. George’s Day has been ignored in London for far too long. We have much to be proud of in this great country, England has given so much to the world, politically, socially and artistically. St. George’s Day is a time to celebrate the very best of everything English and the Cross of St George will proudly fly outside City Hall on 23rd April.”
London will be celebrating St. George’s Day with a week long celebration on English culture starting with traditional English events such as Morris Dancing, Maypole dancing, Punch and Judy show at the V&A Museum of Childhood. For information on other events visit our St George’s Day events in 2009 page.
A new national song for England, reflecting English customs, ideas and creativity in contemporary times will be given its first airing on St George’s Day. At present, England’s official national song is the British National anthem.
This year, St George’s Day falls on a working day and so many English people will be going to work as normal. Unlike other countries, including Ireland, England’s national day is not a public holiday.
How to celebrate St. George’s Day
- Wear a red rose for England in your jacket lapel. As the national flower of England, the rose is a symbol of patriotic pride
- Read the “Legend of St. George and the Dragon”
- Fly the flag of St. George. Many official buildings will fly the flag on St. George’s Day
- Attend on the many St. George’s Day events taking place throughout England
- Go a pub crawl and support the English pubs, which are under a threat from closure.
- Eat fish & chips, England’s favourite take away meal.
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Further reading
St George’s Day
St George’s Day events in 2009
National Song of England
Celebrating the UK National Days
The Legend of St. George and the Dragon
The Real St George
What is England Famous for?
Symbols of England
Questions about St George
Why can’t we write about England?
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3 comments:
i am proud of my country and will be flying the st georges flag for the occasion. i think st georges day should be a public holiday throughout england. i think that it is unfair that the enlish public can’t celebrate their national day.
i think that st georges day should be a public holiday throughout england and it is wrong that people in england have to go to work when they should have the right to celebrate their national day.
Idries Shah ,writing about the English in his book ‘ Darkest England’ (Octogon Press, 1987), suggests that we are a Tribe rather than a Nation and that Her Majesty the Queen ( or whoever is the reigning monarch at the time) is our Chieftain. This seems satisfactory to me. Some people are trying to turn us into a People whose only cohesion is the land on which it lives i.e. a Motherland or Fatherland. Elgar’s “My country ’tis of thee’ is not our national song nor will thus new one be.. Our National song is our national Anthem ‘God Save The Queen’
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