23rd of April is the English National Day. Have a :beer: on me :)
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23rd of April is the English National Day. Have a :beer: on me :)
Bank holiday?
Nah, we're not allowed one of them for the National Saints Day. Crap isn't it.
If we were Paddy's............
A national saint who was not English and never spent a day in England. Funny how such things end up being clung on to, isn't it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Knock-on
I had the day off to celebrate as I always do :D
As I mention every year, this is also the day of the patron saint of Catalonia, Sant Jordi. Yes, it's the same guy who killed the dragon. Here, though, it's a very special day for Catalan people. It's a little bit like a less-comercialised version of St Valentine's Day. Men give their loved ones a rose, while women in give their special man a book. It's a working day, not a holiday, but there's a holiday atmosphere, with the streets filled with book stalls.
The English don't celebrate today because they're embarrassed about their colonial past. In fact, I think they also have much to be proud of, especially all the international sports they have brought to the world, not to mention education standards and scientific discoveries from the Victorian era onwards.
Yes I was in Taragona for St. George's Day and it was a big deal indeed.
The problem is that it's only English not Scottish or Welsh etc and much of that Victorian invention you talk of is very much British not only English. Just as Scotland and Wales haven't been proper countries in their own right for a long time, by the same token neither has England.
I read somewhere that the English adopted him as the dragon represents the Welsh so St George was a slayer of Welshmen (and he didn't even live in Chester!)
St George may not have known where England was (if it was anywhere in his time) but the same could be said for St Andrew and Scotland, but I think his mummified arm did get there.
St. George hasn't any direct connection with my country but we celebrate him in style ( along with other saints from the "Premier League" like John, Constantine, Helen, Mary and Dimitrie ).
About 1 million citizens of my country celebrate their name ( Gheorghe, George, Georgica, Gica, Gigi, Ghita, Gicu, Gelu, Georgeta, Geta, Gheorghita, etc.)and they have to throw a party. My brother is one of them so I had a few glasses yesterday.