St Georges Day

[Spinney]

That was my thought - there are already enough bank holidays clustered in the spring without adding more - let's have some summer ones

[grump mode on]to clog up the motorways even more on a Friday evening[/grump mode]

Sadly, Corbyn being in a position to introduce these is about as likely as May being compassionate ...

 

[derrick]

I once had an interesting 'conversation' with a bloke in a pub about this. Here's what I recall:

ME; I don't bother celebrating today.

BLOKE: It's St George's Day.

ME: Why celebrate?

BLOKE: He's our Saint and he slew a dragon...

ME: You do realise that dragons are mythical (ie non existent) creatures...don't you?

In short, the dragon slaying bit never happened although I expect there are other reasons why this is an 'English' day. I see Corbyn wants to make it a bank holiday - bit too close to May 1 if you ask me which is probably more appropriate for Mr Corbyn.

Why is it that every time new BH are proposed, it's always on old military battle dates??. Or in this case, celebrating someone not slaying an imaginary creature. I would favour the summer solstice for a BH. Longest day of the year, hopefully sunny, a date that everyone can relate to which isn't some old battle that the nationalists/Tories etc keep bleating on about.

Next your be telling us jesus did not rise from the dead.

 

[subaqua]

I didn't even realise this year. Apparently St. George was originally from Syria. I hope we get it as a bank holiday in future. The last thing I remember doing to "celebrate" the day was marching with the scouts. I was a young scout at the time, before anyone calls me a weirdo.

23rd April or closest weekend day to it is usually "promise renewal day" for scouts.

The boys cub Pack went to an event yesterday, and damn good fun it was too. axe throwing, rope climbing, archery, "blind" forest trail , a massive dragon haped bouncy castle/slide.

 

[The Essex Spurs]

I once had an interesting 'conversation' with a bloke in a pub about this. Here's what I recall:

ME; I don't bother celebrating today.

BLOKE: It's St George's Day.

ME: Why celebrate?

BLOKE: He's our Saint and he slew a dragon...

ME: You do realise that dragons are mythical (ie non existent) creatures...don't you?

In short, the dragon slaying bit never happened although I expect there are other reasons why this is an 'English' day. I see Corbyn wants to make it a bank holiday - bit too close to May 1 if you ask me which is probably more appropriate for Mr Corbyn.

Why is it that every time new BH are proposed, it's always on old military battle dates??. Or in this case, celebrating someone not slaying an imaginary creature. I would favour the summer solstice for a BH. Longest day of the year, hopefully sunny, a date that everyone can relate to which isn't some old battle that the nationalists/Tories etc keep bleating on about.

That's a bit naughty...English people of All persuasion laid down their lives so politics is a no no in this sense.More importantly my birthday is May 3rd so a decent holiday up in Norfolk or a new trip to Lincolnshire beckons for some cowardly cycling.

 

[captain nemo1701]

English people of All persuasion laid down their lives...

Bit confused by this. I thought SG day was about some bloke killing a mythical animal?. Remembrance day is for the fallen.

 

[The Essex Spurs]

Point I'm mal

English people of All persuasion laid down their lives...

Bit confused by this. I thought SG day was about some bloke killing a mythical animal?. Remembrance day is for the fallen.

Yes you maybe confused but the point is valid.The other Patron Saint days are remembered for sacrifice and keeping identity and don't forget if our friends north of the border hadn't bottled it at Derby we'd all be SNP!!!!How many people have been killed defending the English borders we will never know.Still it's the 24th so debate opens again in just under a year!

 

[MikeG]

.......Apparently St. George was originally from Syria.........

.........and never went anywhere near these islands. He was probably unaware of their existence. The idea of saints is nothing more than a quaint throwback. The idea of patron saints is a cultural curiosity. The idea of dragons is just childish. Celebrating any of these things can only be because people have run out of other excuses to celebrate.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Point I'm mal

Yes you maybe confused but the point is valid.The other Patron Saint days are remembered for sacrifice and keeping identity and don't forget if our friends north of the border hadn't bottled it at Derby we'd all be SNP!!!!How many people have been killed defending the English borders we will never know.Still it's the 24th so debate opens again in just under a year!

You do realise the country is not called SNP?

 

[AndyRM]

[QUOTE 4775546, member: 259"]There was a thing on US telly a few years back about St Paddy's day in the US. I think it was in Boston or New York. They asked people on the street if they were of Irish extraction, and asked them to point to Ireland on a big map of Europe. Only about half of them knew where it was, and loads stuck the pin in central Europe and Spain. Lots more people who said they weren't got it right![/QUOTE]

Probably Boston, or possibly Chicago - huge "Irish" communities. They dye the river green. Daft.

 

[The Essex Spurs]

Why would there be any need for an SNP then?

Fair point!