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Christian Holiday St George Day

ByFaith and Rain

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Two soldiers resting on a mountain top

St George’s Day is a Christian holiday celebrated in various countries.

Churches, regions, states, nations, cities, and old kingdoms honor Saint George as the Patron Saint.

They teach English School kids that George was a knight who killed dragons.

They select patron Saints as guardians or special protectors over all areas of life.

We observe the day on the 23rd of April.

However, the Church of England rules that no Saint Day can be celebrated between Palm Sunday and Sunday after the Easter holidays.

So what is the Christian Holiday of St. George’s Day and how is the day celebrated?

What is the Christian Holiday of St George’s Day?

St George is a Christian Holiday remembered on 23rd April every year.

We also know the holiday as the Feast of Saint George.

This is the day people across England celebrate Saint George, it is the anniversary of his death.

We celebrate him for calming and slaying a dragon that needed human sacrifice.

However, Saint George is not just a patron saint for England.

He holds his position in Georgia, Catalonia, Lithuania, Germany, Palestine, Greece, Portugal, Moscow, Genoa, Istanbul, and others.

There is a flag for Saint George that has a red cross on a white background.

It is also England’s flag and merged into the union flag.

Who was Saint George?

According to various history books, George was a Roman soldier in 280AD.

However, there are few facts about George’s early life.

There were many myths and stories about him.

We believe George was born in Cappadocia, an area which is now Turkey.

They also noted that he lived during the 3rd century.

George was born to a very wealthy Christian upright family.

After the death of his father; his mother took him to live in the Middle East, where she came from.

St George becomes a Soldier

Later, when he grew up, he became a Roman soldier and joined the servants of Emperor Diocletian.

During that time, there was a growing impact on the Christian community.

Because Christianity affected the region, a crackdown on Christians was ordered by the Emperor.

Christian soldiers in the army were expelled and ordered to offer sacrifices to nonbelievers.

George refused to make a pagan sacrifice and criticized the decree, and declared he was a follower of Christ.

Also, he would constantly protest how badly the soldiers were treating Christians.

The emperor tried to convert him by offering land and wealth, but he refused.

He was arrested and tortured for his stand, but he did not turn away from his beliefs.

They executed him for his firm belief on 23rd April 303.

We quote that the Emperor’s wife was overwhelmed by how George did not renounce his Christian belief that she became a Christian.

Later, she was executed the same way they executed George.

What does George have to do with a dragon?

Adults and many school-going children associate George with dragons.

However, very few people can tell whether it is a myth or a fact the story of George and the dragon.

The story of George and the dragon became popular when it was featured in a book named The Golden Legend.

According to the book, George visited a town in Libya, where there was a dragon.

The people in that town were being killed by the dragon and began feeding it two sheep every day to calm it down.

But eventually, they ran out of sheep and they nominated people to be sacrificed to the dragon.

One day, the daughter of the King was nominated, and the king tried to protect her. However, the people insisted the king’s daughter had to be sacrificed as well.

As the princess was about to be sacrificed, George showed up on the scene.

He offered to slay the animal if the people of that town would convert to Christianity.

George told them not to worry, but to have faith in God.

He fought the dragon and killed it.

The people of town converted to Christianity, and the king built a church where the animal died.

If George was from Turkey, why is he a Patron Saint of England?

Saint George was not English, and we believe he never visited England.

It is King Edward III who made St. George England’s office saint after he came to power in 1327.

Some people have even campaigned that Saint Edmund becomes England’s patron since he is more English than St. George.

But according to various historians, a patron saint does not have to be from the nation in which he was born.

Saint George is also a patron saint of Georgia, Portugal, Ethiopia, Beirut, Malta, Lithuania, and other countries.

Saint George has remained a vital symbol of knighthood in England and other countries.

How is St George’s Day celebrated?

St George’s Day celebrations vary from one country to another.

However, the day celebrations are filled with feasts, parades, dancing, and flying of the Saint George flag.

Happily, we observe the holiday from sunrise to sunset.

In England, the day is marked by flying St George’s flag in the pubs, streets, and public areas.

There are also street parties, events, and dancing shows all over England.

Besides, there are themed Saint George slots for the fans of online slots.

In Albania and Croatia, there are enormous bonfires, singing, and dancing to celebrate the day.

In Russia and other countries where George is a patron saint, people gather around to celebrate the important day.

Conclusion

St George’s day is a feast day of Saint George and celebrated by many Christian churches.

Many nations, regions, countries, old kingdoms, and cities where Saint George is a Patron Saint honor him.

For celebrations, there is no wrong way to celebrate the day.

It is also important to teach children about Saint George and why he is a great person in the history of Christianity.

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