The
United Kingdom is made up of Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and
England. Each has its “patron saint”—a figure that is said to
protect that country and its people. For England, that patron saint
is St. George.
(By
the way, St. George is considered the patron saint of several
different countries and cities around the world.)
Details
about the “real” St. George's life are very uncertain (his
existence as a historical person isn't certain), but legend has it
that he was born in what is now Turkey, in the 200s. He was supposed
to have later lived in Palestine, where he became a Roman soldier.
The legends tell us that the reason he is a saint is because he was a
Christian who faced persecution and eventually death for his religion.
Another
famous legend tells us that St. George saved a maiden and/or a
kingdom from a poison-spewing dragon. This story has become very
familiar partly because several artists chose to paint or sculpt the
dramatic fight between armored soldier and dragon.
Celebrate!
In
Salisbury, there is a traditional St. George's Day pageant. In other
places, people enjoy morris dancing and Punch and Judy shows. People
often combine the feast day with festivities in honor of playwright
William Shakespeare (check out the post about Shakespeare's birthday
below). An old-time tradition that is rarely followed today is
wearing a red rose (check out the Day of the Rose post below).
Here
is a website, created for a school project, that features the Legend
of St. George Slaying the Dragon.
Here
are free resources for celebrating St. George's Day, including the
story of St. George and the dragon, posters, and coloring sheets.
Also
on this date:
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