Saint George's Day

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Saint George's Day
Saint George and the Dragon
Oil painting by Raphael (1505–1506)
Observed by
Churches
Countries and regions
Type

Saint George's Day is the

Saint George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of the saint's death in the Diocletianic Persecution.[2] It coincides with the birth and death dates of English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

Date

In the

Easter Week) (2 May 2011, 28 April 2014, 29 April 2019 and 25 April 2022 respectively).[5][6][7]

Common Worship says "When St George's Day ... falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter"[8] but it does not say what to do if that day is 25 April – normally St Mark's Day. This will next occur in 2033.

The church celebrations of nearly all saints' days are transferred if they fall on a Sunday (because Sunday is the celebration of Christ's Resurrection, which is far more important than a saint's commemoration).

In fact, despite the rule above, the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales celebrated St George's Day on Tuesday 26 April 2022,[9] with the feast day of St Mark taking precedence and being celebrated on Monday 25 April. The Church of England's Common Worship lectionary for 2022 had the same dates, with St George's Day being celebrated on Tuesday 26 April, according to the image of the physical book shown on social media.

page of Common Worship Lectionary 2022 (Church of England) showing St George's Day

Similarly, the Eastern Orthodox celebration of the feast moves accordingly to the first Monday after Easter or, as it is sometimes called, to the Monday of Bright Week. Besides the 23 April feast, some Orthodox Churches have additional feasts dedicated to St George. The country of

in 1051 on 26 November (Julian calendar), which until the year 2100 falls on 9 December on the Gregorian calendar.

In the Tridentine calendar Saint George's Day was given the rank of "Semidouble". In Pope Pius XII's 1955 calendar this rank is reduced to "Simple". In Pope John XXIII's 1960 calendar the celebration is just a "Commemoration". In Pope Paul VI's revision of the calendar that came into force in 1969, it was given the equivalent rank of a "Memorial", of optional use. In some countries, such as England, the rank is higher.

Western tradition

English Catholic and Anglican tradition

Flag of England, derived from Saint George's Cross
A child with an English flag and hat on St. George's Day
A St. George's Day celebration in Kent, 2011

The earliest documented mention of St. George in England comes from the Catholic monk the venerable

Froissart observed the English invoking St. George as a battle cry on several occasions during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453).[13] Certain English soldiers also displayed the pennon of St. George.[16]

[1552] wher as it hathe bene of ane olde costome that sent Gorge shulde be kepte holy day thorrow alle Englond, the byshoppe of London commandyd that it shulde not be kepte, and no more it was not.

Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London, 1852

St. George's Day was a major feast and national holiday in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century.

morris dancing and Punch and Judy shows.[20]

A traditional custom on St. George's day is fly or adorn the

St. George's Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on 23 April festooned with garlands of St. George's crosses.[citation needed
] It is customary for the hymn "Jerusalem" to be sung in cathedrals, churches and chapels on St. George's Day, or on the Sunday closest to it.

There is a growing reaction to the recent indifference to St. George's Day. Organisations such as

Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, or Saint Alban, with the last having topped a BBC Radio 4 poll on the subject.[23]
Recently there have been calls to reinstate St. Edmund as the patron Saint of England as he was displaced by George some 400 years ago.[24]

Religious observance of St. George's day changes when it is too close to Easter. According to the Church of England's calendar, when St. George's Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is moved to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.[5][6] In 2011, for example, 23 April was Holy Saturday, so St. George's Day was moved to Monday 2 May. The Catholic Church in England and Wales has a similar practice.[7]

Scouts
parade in Somerset, England

Saint George is the patron saint of The Scout Movement, which has held St. George's Day parades since its first years.[25] St. George is the patron saint of many other organisations. In the United States, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting uses the saint for many of their awards and activities.[26]

In sport, 23 April is also the anniversary of the St. George Dragons Rugby League Football Club. The St. George club coincidentally played their inaugural New South Wales Rugby League first grade match on St. George's Day, 23 April 1921 at the Sydney Sports Ground in Australia.[27]

In Newfoundland and Labrador, St. George's Day is a provincial holiday, usually observed on the Monday nearest 23 April.

Iberian peninsula

Spain

Cross of Alcoraz. This shield appears in the official Coat of arms of Aragon and the Flag of Sardinia

Crusaders
.

The Feast of Saint George is celebrated enthusiastically in the Region and former Kingdom of Aragon, and is a regional feast day. On 23 April, Aragon celebrates its "Día de Aragón" (Day of Aragon) in commemoration of the Battle of Alcoraz (Baralla d'Alcoraz in Aragonese), where the city of Huesca was reconquered by the Aragonese army and in which tradition says that St. George appeared at a critical moment for the Christian Army.

In

Saint Valentine's Day in Anglophone countries. Traditionally, boys give girls a red rose and girls give boys a book. Among roses, many piles of books are for sale in Catalan streets; 1.5m books were sold in 2015.[28]

Moors and Christians of Alcoi, 2022.

In the

Alcoi, Saint George's Day is commemorated as a thanksgiving celebration for the purported aid the saint provided to the Christian troops fighting the Muslims in the siege of the city. Its citizens commemorate the day with a festivity in which thousands of people parade in medieval costumes, forming two "armies" of Moors and Christians
and re-enacting the siege that gave the city to the Christians.

In Cáceres, in the western region of Extremadura, the capital city of Cáceres celebrates the reconquest of the city from Muslim rule on 23 April 1229 by King Alfonso IX of León, with commemorative celebrations which begin on the eve of the feast day with a parade of Moors and Christians and various effigies of Saint George and the Dragon on horseback. Once the parade reaches the main square, they reenact a battle between both camps culminating with the burning of a winning Dragon effigy (as selected and voted by the people of the city).

The town Viérnoles in Cantabria celebrates several days of "Las Fiestas de San Jorge" at the end of April and/or the beginning of May.[29][30]

Portugal

Devotions to Saint George in Portugal date back to the twelfth century, and

Saint Constable attributed the victory of the Portuguese against what is now mostly modern day Spain, in the battle of Aljubarrota in the fourteenth century to Saint George. During the reign of King John I (1357–1433) Saint George became the patron saint of Portugal and the King ordered that the saint's image on the horse be carried in the Feast of Corpus Christi procession. In fact, the Portuguese Army motto means Portugal and Saint George, in perils and in efforts of war.[31]

Germany Georgiritt

Georgiritt

In tradition-rich Buttenheim and many other towns in Bavaria, Georgiritt (plural Georgiritte; "George's Ride") takes place around St. George's Day 23. April, especially around churches dedicated to the saint. Brightly decorated horses and wagons parade several times around the church, in which a service is then held at which the riders and horses are blessed. Various competitions may be held afterwards.

Rio de Janeiro

Patron Saint of the Brazilian Army Cavalry, Saint George is celebrated in a horseback riding throughout the country. In Rio de Janeiro, where the saint is extremely popular, is a day of popular festivities, such as feijoada, fireworks, among other celebrations.

On April 23, the churches begin their festivities at 3:30 am with a moment of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Soon after, around 4 am, the façade takes on new colors with a mapped projection show and light show. The presentation precedes the traditional fireworks display and the solemn mass of "Alvorada de São Jorge", at 5 am.[32]

24 April

Exceptionally in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, Saint George's Day comes on 24 April. The reason why it was moved from 23 April in case of the Czech's svátek sv. Jiří is, that there is a day of

St. Adalbert of Prague (in Czech Svatý Vojtěch), Czech national patron saint, who was martyred on 23 April 997.[33]
It is celebrated in a special way.

In Hungary, 24 April is the day of Saint George the Dragonslayer, thus it is the name day of men named György. It is also the Day of the Police, who honour him as a patron saint.

Eastern Orthodox tradition

An Orthodox icon showing Saint George

Under the

Eastern Bloc countries, the celebration of Saint George's Day was historically suppressed.[34]

If St. George's Day falls during Great Lent or Holy Week or on Easter Day, it is observed on Easter Monday.[35]

Eastern Slavic tradition

Yuri's Day
in Russia

The

Kiev by Yaroslav the Wise (1051) on 26 November (Julian calendar), which currently falls on 9 December. One of the Russian forms of the name George being Yuri, the two feasts are popularly known as Vesenniy Yuriev Den (Yuri's Day in the Spring) and Osenniy Yuriev Den (Yuri's Day in the Fall).[citation needed
]

South Slavic tradition and Balkan spring festival

In

Slavas (family patron day) among the Serbs. Đurđevdan is also celebrated by both Orthodox and Muslim Romani and Muslim Gorani. Đurđevdan is celebrated, especially, in the areas of Raška in Serbia. Apart from being the Slava of many families, St. George's Day is marked by morning picnics, music, and folk dances.[citation needed
]

Saint George's Day celebrations in Bulgaria

Possibly the most celebrated

Slavic pagan sacrificial traditions and the fact that St. George is the patron saint of shepherds. It is also believed to be a magical day when all evil spells can be broken. It was believed that the saint helps the crops to grow and blesses the morning dew, so early in the morning they walked in the pastures and meadows and collected dew, washed their face, hands and feet in it for good luck and even in some rural parts of Bulgaria it was a custom to roll in it naked.[36]

St. George's Day is also Bulgarian Armed Forces Day, made official with a decree of Prince Alexander of Battenberg on 9 January 1880. Parades are organised in the capital Sofia to present the best of the equipment and manpower of the Bulgarian military, as well as in major cities nationwide.[citation needed]

St. George's Day is also called Đurđevdan and is celebrated by

Bosnian Serbs and Romani (both Orthodox and Muslim), but also has been celebrated by the other ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Đurđevdan's widespread appeal can be seen in the folk song Đurđevdan popularised by Bijelo Dugme as well as Meša Selimović's novel Death and the Dervish.[citation needed
]

In the

megalomartyrs the celebration date is moved outside of Lent and Holy Week so that people can fully celebrate the day.[citation needed
]

In the

Georgian Church, St. George the Victory-Bearer is commemorated twice a year: on 23 November (the Breaking on the Wheel of Holy Greatmartyr George) and 6 May (the Beheading of St. George).[37] The celebrations likely began in the 4th to 5th centuries. In Georgia, the feast day on 23 November is credited to Saint Nino
of Cappadocia, who in Georgian hagiography is a relative of St. George, and is primarily credited with bringing Christianity to the Georgians in the fourth century.

The Romanian Orthodox Church, which uses the Revised Julian calendar, celebrates St. George's Day on 23 April.[citation needed]

Middle East

Veneration of St. George as a martyr originates in the

Lydda during the reign of Constantine the Great (reigned 306–37) was consecrated to "a man of the highest distinction"; the identity of this man with St. George was asserted by the 7th century.[39] The church was destroyed by Muslims in 1010, but was later rebuilt and dedicated to Saint George by the Crusaders. In 1191 and during the conflict known as the Third Crusade (1189–92), the church was again destroyed by the forces of Saladin, Sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty
(reigned 1171–93). A new church was erected in 1872 and is still standing.

Christians in the Middle East continue to celebrate St. George's Day, and the custom has been adopted in Muslim tradition via identification of the saint with the figure of

Al-Khidr and an association in folk belief
with medicine and healing. In
al-Khader, just south of Bethlehem.[40]
Historically, the feast attracted Arabs from throughout
Monastery of Saint George.[41] On the morning of 6 May, Palestinian Christians from Beit Jala, Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and other parts of Palestine would march in a procession to the monastery.[40]

In

St. George's Monastery
was destroyed in November 2014 by ISIS militants.

Saint George's Day (Jeries) is celebrated widely in Jordan, especially in a town near Amman called Fuheis. In Jordan, many churches are dedicated to St. George.

St. George's Day is celebrated throughout Iraq and Lebanon, but especially in towns and villages where churches for St. George have been erected.

Many

which?] celebrate St. George's Day, especially in the Homs Governorate. Following this, participants traditionally dine and dance. The monastery of Mar Jurjus (St. George) dates back to the 6th century and is a regional centre of Orthodox Christianity.[42]

In literature

In the 1897 book Dracula by Bram Stoker, evil things are said to occur on St. George's Eve, beginning at midnight. The date of St. George's Day presented in the book, 5 May (on the Western Gregorian calendar), is St. George's Day as observed by the Eastern Orthodox churches of that era. The belief is that moroi (living vampires), witches, and other dark creatures must gather all the evil power they can between midnight and the dawn of the saint's holy day, so it is unsafe to go outside on that night.[43]

(Excerpt from Dracula, 1897) "Do you know what day it is?" I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again: "Oh, yes! I know that, I know that! but do you know what day it is?" On my saying that I did not understand, she went on: "It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?

The 1961 play Andorra by Max Frisch focusses greatly on the (fictionalised) Andorran celebrations of St. George's Day. The play begins and ends with references to a ceremonial whitewashing of houses by the town's virgins, again reflecting the day's central theme of purity.

The 2009 play Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth takes place on St. George's Day, 23 April, also the day of death and estimated birth day of William Shakespeare.

Lee Sheridan's debut novella St George's Day,[44] set in Maynooth on 23 April 2020, examines the day in the life of a part-time supermarket worker. The protagonist, a lazy Theology student, begins noticing parallels between his life and the life of St George. As the blurb reads, he must balance "mundane work with meditation, imagination, and a mouthy manager [the Dragon]."

References

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  2. ^ "Dracula – It is the eve of St. George's Day". Book Drum. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  3. .
  4. ^ "Agios Georgios Feast in Greece". Greeka. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2018. Agios Georgios is an acknowledged saint across the Catholic, the Anglican, the Orthodox, the Lutheran and the Armenian Church. In Greece, Saint George is celebrated on the 23 April and many areas of Greece devote big ceremonies and fairs to his name that aim at reassuring the Saint's blessings.
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  9. ^ "Liturgical Calendar | April 14".
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  28. ^ Finnegan, Christopher (23 April 2016). "Boys, girls, books and roses: a literary love affair in Catalonia". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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  30. ^ Laguillo, David (13 April 2022). "Las Fiestas de San Jorge en Viérnoles serán las primeras que se celebrarán con "normalidad" en Torrelavega". Noticias de Torrelavega en EsTorrelavega.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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  33. .
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  43. .

External links