The Irish are great at it, as are other nations…. but we English are usually very slow to celebrate our national day…indeed we barely acknowledge it at all. No all day parties in the pubs, parks or streets…..no none of that. If you took a straw poll, lots of people would be hard pressed to tell you the correct date of St George's day. Well’s it’s April 23rd and since the red rose is our flower symbol we should endeavour to wear one.

It’s suggested that St George protested to Roman Emperor Diocesan about his persecution of Christians and for this our patron saint was beheaded on April 23rd in 303 AD. By around 900 AD George was universally regarded as a saint for being a defender of the poor and defenceless. The banner of St George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers possibly in the reign of Richard 1, and later became the flag of England and the White Ensign of the Royal Navy. In a seal of Lyme Regis dating from 1284 a ship is depicted bearing a flag with a cross on a plain background. St George didn’t slay any dragons to the best of my knowledge because long afterwards my ex-mother–in-law was still breathing fire.

I will be celebrating St George’s Day this year by joining the food blog effort to promote England’s national day. Posh & Beck’s site together with Monkey Gland of Jamfaced have come up with a great idea to make English people pay more attention to their own day.

So look out for my unveiling on the Sunday April 23rd and come and check out my pud and help us raise the profile of St. George’s Day.

Tagged with: What's For Pud? and St George's Day