Happy St. Georges Day

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The 23rd of April is St. Georges Day in England. St George is England’s patron Saint. Celebrations will undoubtedly be muted. Small parties will be held, unobtrusively in the main, around England.

Why do so few English people actively celebrate St. Georges Day? Quite a few reasons actually.

Firstly, if something isn’t in the media many people are oblivious – let’s face it many people are oblivious to things that are in the media.

Secondly a staggering number of English people have no real idea that St. Georges Day exists or even that St. George existed let alone that he is England’s patron Saint. St. Patrick always gets lots of publicity but poor old St. George hardly any at all.

Thirdly there is still the politically correct brigade to worry about. Most politicians shy away from even acknowledging St. Georges Day primarily because it isn’t ‘inclusive’. They worry it may offend ethnic minorities.

One reason they have this worry is, of course, their lethargy in ensuring St. George wasn’t ‘hi-jacked’ along with the English flag by far right groups and football hooligans in the 80’s.

The English flag was used by various far right groups who were openly racist, colour prejudiced and, in some cases, extremely violent towards non-English people particularly those with a better sun tan than they had. One far right group even named itself ‘The League of St. George’.

As a result people, like me, who fly the English flag on St. Georges Day are often viewed with suspicion by those who don’t know me. My neighbours, the Mahmood’s and several other Asian neighbours are fully aware I am not in the least racist or colour prejudiced but even though we have somewhat re-claimed our flag from far right groups there is still a lingering doubt about using it at all.

I consider it rather ironic that far right racist / xenophobic groups used St George in this way when St George is actually Georgius and was born in Lydda, Roman Palestine somewhere around 280 A.D. of Greek parentage. Also his patronages stretch around the globe from Egypt to Lithuania and from Ethiopia to Serbia and plenty of other countries.

I live for the day when we not only complete our re-claiming of our flag and can fly it with pride but the day when St George once again becomes a patron Saint we can celebrate having without politically correct morons and far right fascists spoiling it for the rest of us.

HAPPY ST. GEORGES DAY!

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
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Jess
9 years ago

So I guess my putting up the Union Jack on the 4th of July here in the US of A as a joke last year I shouldn’t have done. Ooooooops.

Reply to  Jess
9 years ago

Actually I thought I wouldn’t say owt – but it’s me so how can I not? 😉

The Union Jack is actually for ships at sea only. On land it’s called the Union Flag.

Also, for St. Georges Day it is the English not British Flag that is flown – or should be – in England. Pure white with a large red X.

And I didn’t even have to Google it! 🙂

9 years ago

I’ve mixed emotions about our immigration problem. I don’t like to see colour but in Britain it’s hard no to. Good one Norm.

Reply to  rowdy62
9 years ago

‘I don’t like to see colour but in Britain it’s hard not to’

That’s a bit of a worry Rowdy old bean. Going back to my response to Poxie, John Barnes was, and indeed is black. He was also the most graceful footballer and, based on his TV interviews, most graceful man ever to pull on an England football shirt and proudly represent his country.

Britain hasn’t been a ‘white’ country since the 60’s – there were, of course, black and Asian people here long before that – and I realise that ‘mass immigration’ caused much strife culminating in the race riots of the early 80’s.

My contribution here may have been misconstrued.

I have no issue what so ever with ‘controlled immigration’. This is a boon for all nations supplying much needed skills etc. Race, gender, colour etc is immaterial.

We can’t blame immigrants for being here. The politicians are to blame for creating ‘racial ghettos’.

If I lived an impoverished life in Bangla Desh and had the chance to come and live on benefits in England I rather think I’d take the chance.

Hate the politicians by all means, I do, but don’t hate immigrants for wanting a better life – as we would in the same circumstances.

Hope you all had a happy St Georges day! (especially you Greeks) 😉

Jess
Reply to  Norman Rampart
9 years ago

Talking about benefits and stuff. Like I said earlier I have been reading a lot of British sites to get news on the Duchess of Cambridge and I came across various different articles about how eastern European families are migrating to Britain and living off the benefits there for generations. One family had like 30 something people living around them and they were all getting money for having kids and rent allowances and food allowances. Also yesterday I think, there was something about no longer can anyone at customs ask well how long do you plan on staying in Britain to anyone coming in on a passport from the EU because it could be considered offensive. I have seen lots of articles that they are cracking down on people who are cheating though so that is good right. I also saw some videos here and there about that documentary they did on the one street that has so many people living on benefits they call it benefits st. I forget the name of it now because it was a while ago only thing I remember is White Dee and Black Dee lived there.

I saw one thing yesterday a woman told her daughter to get pregnant at 16 so she would be able to live life on benefits also. She was very proud of the fact she had never worked a day in her life and wanted that for her child.

Reply to  Jess
9 years ago

Much of what you saw is the reason there is so much anger and frustration in Britain today about immigration. It’s only ‘rocket science’ when the politicians make it so eh?

Poxie
9 years ago

I hate all this politically correct smack. Runing our holidays it is, and for what? So a few but too many bleeding muslims or fuzzies might get their knickers in knot? Let em go home they don’t like it. Bastards!

Reply to  Poxie
9 years ago

erm….quite….not exactly as I would have put it mind you.

Actually I have quite a number of ‘bleeding muslims’ as you so succinctly put it and, if I catch your drift, ‘fuzzies’ high on my list of friends.

The thing is Poxie, many will view your comment as racist and so forth and, certainly, your terminology is, shall we say, a little ‘forceful’?

I do, however, understand your frustrations – indeed, I share them in many ways.

I would say though that the vast majority of my muslim and black friends (and yes I know you’re supposed to say African Cari…oh for God’s sake!) also share the same frustrations as they would rather like to live here as part of England/Britain.

Gifted black footballers such as Ian Wright, John Barnes, Paul Ince, Ashley Cole etc etc. Gifted cricketers such as (Sikh) Monty Panesaar or Mark Ramprakash along with Somalian born Mo Farrah sufficiently illustrate the point at least from a sporting perspective.

The majority of immigrants / descendents of immigrants are not ‘the enemy’.

All I ask Poxie, with sincere respect, is that you don’t allow your understandable frustrations to become a hatred of all who are not immediately recognisable as English / British.

Hatred is a very strong and negative emotion. We need to support the immigrants who do want to adopt ‘British values’ and not alienate them because they look like those who don’t.

All the best sweetheart.

Keep the faith eh? 🙂

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