In case you'd forgotten, today is St. George's Day - I know I had. I can't imagine a national day is celebrated with as little fervour anywhere else in the world. I know it's a saint's day really, and nothing to do with being English, but that don't stop Wales on St. David's Day. It's literally unbearable being there. At least St. David was actually Welsh though - St. George was a Roman who lived in Anatolia, now known as Turkey. But then, you already knew that. What you may not know is this:
St. George is the patron saint of Palestine.
Georgie boy also takes care of saintly business for Greece, Georgia, Portugal and Russia - as well as regions such as Catalonia (which explains why FC Barcelona have an England flag on their crest). He was made a saint by Pope Gelasius I in 494 - 191 years after his death by decapitation, on April 23, 303. So it's not completely random. St George became a saint for his martyrdom in fighting wars somewhere, and being brave and all - look, if it's before the Tudors, I can't be doing with it. He probably didn't kill a dragon either, seeing as dragons don't exist.
If you think that having a national day to celebrate a Roman who had his head lopped off 1700 years ago is somewhat pointless, you're not alone. There is some mild clamour in parts of the home counties to see Dr. Alban installed as our patron saint. I mean, I didn't mind It's My Life at the time, but it seems an odd choice. Oh, sorry... St. Alban. The G-man wasn't the original patron saint - that honour went to St. Edmund, who was promptly demoted to be patron saint of Suffolk. That must have stuck in his throat.
Maybe we should just do away with it all together. Let's be honest, there's not much that makes me proud to be English - imperialism, football hooligans and Margaret Thatcher don't really float my boat. To be honest, one redeeming feature of the English is their quiet shame at their own history and identity. Let's keep it that way.
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