British Life and Culture by Mandy Barrow
Saint George is a very famous figure, known all over the world. He is a Christian saint and is especially important in England because he is the patron saint of England. This means he is considered a special protector and advocate for the country. Saint George’s Day is celebrated every year on 23 April.
Even though he is England’s patron saint, Saint George was not actually English. He is believed to have been born in a region called Cappadocia (which is now part of Turkey) around the year 275 AD. He grew up to be a soldier in the Roman army. He was a brave man who stood up for his Christian faith during a time when Christians were often persecuted.
The most famous story about Saint George is his legendary fight with a dragon. This tale is very old and has been told for many centuries, exciting children and adults alike.
The legend says that a fearsome dragon was terrorising a town called Silene (which might have been in modern-day Libya). The dragon was so terrible that it demanded two sheep every day to stop it from attacking the town. When the sheep ran out, the dragon demanded people instead. The people of Silene decided to choose victims by drawing lots, and one day, the lot fell upon the king’s own daughter.
Just as the princess was about to be sacrificed to the dragon, Saint George rode into town on his white horse. He heard about the terrible plight of the people and decided to help. With his sword and shield, he bravely faced the monstrous dragon. After a fierce battle, Saint George managed to wound the dragon and then, with the help of the princess, he led it back to the town.
Saint George told the people that if they converted to Christianity, he would kill the dragon for good. Many people agreed, and Saint George slew the dragon, saving the town and its princess. The king was so grateful that he built a church in Saint George’s honour. This story is a symbol of good triumphing over evil, and courage winning against fear.
Saint George’s Day, on 23 April, is England’s national day. However, it is not celebrated with the same enthusiasm or public holiday status as St Patrick’s Day in Ireland or St Andrew’s Day in Scotland. Many people in England might not even realise it’s Saint George’s Day.
Despite this, there are still some traditions and celebrations. You might see the English flag, known as the St George’s Cross, flying from buildings. Some towns and villages hold special events, such as parades, Morris dancing (a traditional English folk dance), and local festivals. People might wear a red rose, which is another symbol of England, or display the St George’s Cross. Schools sometimes teach children about Saint George and his legend.
There have been calls for Saint George’s Day to become a public holiday in England
|
Special Days in December
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Learn about Christmas in England from the children who live in Britain Christmas traditions why do what we do at chrsitmas time
Information about my calendars
"I am and American citizen and astounded by your wonderful website! It is not only informative but kept so up to date that I constantly refer to it, especially the calendar. The pupils of your school are indeed lucky and the site reflects the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff and students. I hope the site continues for many years." Charles, USA, Atlanta "I was searching the web yesterday for a website that would give me a calendar of significant days and weeks throughout the year. I was really struggling until I came across your website and was instantly blown away. I know you have already received lots of praise for your efforts but your site is the most impressive schools website I have seen. Often the amount of time and effort put into creating such a resource is not matched by its usefulness. Your calendars in particular are second to none. Thank you and well done." David, Deputy Headteacher "EXCELLENT information of the customs and traditions of Great Britain........some of which are in danger of being lost or forgotten forever. THANKS for such an interesting site! " Karen "As a childminder I like to celebrate festivals and awareness days with the little ones. This was the best and most comprehensive list I found on the net." "Information about awareness days and special dates to help me plan my youth work programme." "I am British but now living in the US. I needed to know when Mothers' Day is in the UK. (In the USA it is always in May. In 2007 it is on May 13 this year. I didn't want my mother to think I had forgotten her - in March! Now she'll get two cards - one in March and one in May but she deserves to be applauded twice!" "Thank you for all the information i have found relating to feasts and festivals as a teacher it has given me an insite to the history i needed to teach to primary children" Julie, Northampton England "This is a fantastic website. I am a headteacher planning this terms assemblies and came accross your site through REonline. It is full of useful well presented information. I can use a lot of it in my assemblies and I will be recommending that my staff use it with children. We are an infant school but the way you present the information is so accessible that I feel we could use it. Thank you."
© Copyright 2013
is the creator of the Woodlands Resources section of the Woodlands Junior website. left Woodlands in 2003 to work in Kent schools as an ICT Consulatant. Woodlands Junior Homework Help new website |
customs traditions britain, scotland customs and traditions, traditional british christmas dinner, christmas customs traditions, christmas traditions, british culture customs traditions, british christmas customs, british christmas carols, british christmas crackers, british christmas pudding,british christmas trees, british christmas dinner, british celebrate christmas, british royal family, chrsitmas traditions, christmas customs, england, wales, scotland, Christmas Celebrations, british traditions, british customs, british culture, December, Christmas, food, christmas dinner, mince pies, advent, christmas eve, christmas day, boxing day, 12 days of christmas, new year, christmas pudding, christmas cake, christmas carols, christmas cards, christmas stocking, pantomime, santa claus, st nicholas, christmas presents, christmas crackers, christmas trees, mistletoe, holly, ivy
