Saint George’s Day

Sabíeu que el dia de Sant Jordi, el 23 d’abril, també és el dia nacional d’Anglaterra? Sant Jordi és de el patró d’Anglaterra i el seu emblema, una creu vermella sobre un fons blanc, constitueix la bandera anglesa i forma part de la bandera britànica, la coneguda Union Jack. L’emblema de Sant Jordi va ser adoptat pel rei Ricard, Cor de Lleó, el segle XII. Aquí us deixem alguns fets interessants sobre aquest Sant tan popular a Catalunya i a Anglaterra.

Who was the real St. George and what did he do to become England’s patron saint? 

Saint George is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn’t English at all. Very little is known about the man who became St George.

St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans’ torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.

In 1222, the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St George’s Day. In 1415, April 23 was made a national feast day.

Dragon-slaying Saint 

One of the best-known stories a bout Saint George is his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England. The medieval legend of St George and the dragon is over a thousand years old.

St George is always depicted as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross), generally sitting upon a horse and always killing a dragon.
 

Patron Saint

St George is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia.

St George is also patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis.