Today, April 23rd, is St. Georges day in Merrie England.
For some unknown reason the English don’t celebrate this day as the Irish do St. Patricks, the Welsh St. Davids and the Scots St. Andrews.
Matter of fact you’re more likely to see more of a celebration on either of the latter than you are on St. Georges Day.
There is/are many who say that we should have a days holiday to celebrate our National Saint, there are also those who don’t give a toss one way or another.
We must be the only country on Earth that don’t celebrate and it just aint on.
Scots don’t celebrate St Andrew’s. Nothing at all happens on 30 November. Burns’ Night has a better claim to being a National Day, and even that is pretty limited.
The only reason St Patrick’s is a big day is because chain pubs realised it was the only way they were ever going to sell Guinness in any volume. It’s completely invented as an excuse to get drunk and wear stupid hats - it’s no more an expression of vibrant national culture than Guy Fawkes Night is an anti-Papist riot.
Our office is decorated with lots of flags today, and this afternoon we’re having an office-wide half-hour break for tea and scones. It’s a shame that other people aren’t as patriotic though, we need to make more of our patron saint.
And of course it is also Shakespeare’s birthday, which makes him to most patriotic Englishman of them all. Perhaps we should all have a sonnet reading at lunchtime.
My Welsh girlfriend feels very sorry for me as we’re so rubbish at celebrating our saint’s day (not that she much misses having to wear Welsh national dress, it has to be said), so she woke me with a ‘Happy St George’s Day’ and a bar of chocolate as a present. Not sure how that qualifies as English, but I guess it’s the thought that counts.
As I walked past the Home Office in Marsham Street just now, I spotted at least two whole people sporting red roses in their lapels, which I presumed were in honour of St George’s Day.
This thread has just remineded me it’s my wedding anniversary today! I’m saved, I can pick something up at the airport on the way back from France today. Cheers chowder.
