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Post subject: Saint George's Day
 Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 05:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 14, 2004
Posts: 11590
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| Today is Saint George's Day and very few people actually realise it We are supposed to be celebrating England yet there's something about that concept that seems to go against the whole ethos of "Englishness"; There are things that we can be proud of, uncontroversial things like Shakespeare and the English language but the Right seem to have made it hard for "normal" people to celebrate pride in their country...and when I say the "Right" I mean the hard, holocaust denying Right, not just conservatives. Maybe that's one reason why football is so popular in that it allows us to express ourselves in that way... |
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Last edited by greenchick on Apr 23, 2010 - 06:25 PM; edited 1 time in total
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Post subject:
Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 05:56 PM
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Joined: Nov 08, 2002
Posts: 17903
Location: Upstate New York
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I looked it up....
England
A woodcut print of St GeorgeSt George's Day was a major feast and national holiday in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century.[2] However, this tradition had waned by the end of the 18th century after the union of England and Scotland.[3] In recent years the popularity of St George's Day appears to be increasing gradually. BBC Radio 3 had a full programme of St George's Day events in 2006, and Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, has been putting the argument forward in the House of Commons to make St George's Day a public holiday.
A traditional custom at this time was to wear a red rose in one's lapel, though with changes in fashion this is no longer common. Another custom is to fly or adorn the St George's Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on April 23 festooned with garlands of St George's crosses. However, the modern association of the St George's Cross with sports such as football, cricket and rugby, along with far-right political parties such as the BNP means that this tradition is rare outside this context. It is customary for the hymn "Jerusalem" to be sung in cathedrals, churches and chapels on St George's Day, or on the Sunday closest to it.
There is a growing reaction to the recent indifference to St George's Day. Organizations such as English Heritage, and the Royal Society of Saint George (a non-political English national society founded in 1894) have been encouraging celebrations. Other organisations like the St George Unofficial Bank Holiday are encouraging people to be more proactive by taking the day off work (an unofficial bank holiday). They seem to be having some effect. On the other hand, there have also been calls to replace St George as patron saint of England, on the grounds that he was an obscure figure who had no direct connection with the country.[4] However there is no obvious consensus as to whom to replace him with, though names suggested include Edmund the Martyr,[5] Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, or Saint Alban, with the latter having topped a BBC Radio 4 poll on the subject.[6]
In early 2009 Mayor of London Boris Johnson spearheaded a campaign to encourage the celebration of St George's Day.
Happy St. George's Day, Greenchick!
D
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 Rest Easy...The Icon Above is an: ALBINO VULCAN....Yellow...Red Eyed...Bald...Pointed Ears...and....[Dramatic Pause]...Smiling!!!
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Post subject: Re: Saint George's Day
Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 08:40 PM
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Joined: Sep 18, 2005
Posts: 4619
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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| greenchick wrote: | | Today is Saint George's Day and very few people actually realise it We are supposed to be celebrating England yet there's something about that concept that seems to go against the whole ethos of "Englishness"; There are things that we can be proud of, uncontroversial things like Shakespeare and the English language but the Right seem to have made it hard for "normal" people to celebrate pride in their country...and when I say the "Right" I mean the hard, holocaust denying Right, not just conservatives. Maybe that's one reason why football is so popular in that it allows us to express ourselves in that way... |
Not getting enough action on the Political board eh GC?
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"Not bad .... for a human"
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Post subject:
Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 10:41 PM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 9324
Location: Corn country in Illinois
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Happy St. George's Day Greenchick!!!
DianaG |
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"Jesus said to her I am the Resurrection and the Life ..." John 11:25
"O Death where is thy sting?.... the Victory is thru Jesus Christ." I Cor. 15:54-56
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Post subject:
Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 11:09 PM
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Joined: Apr 14, 2004
Posts: 11590
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| Thanks, I think! |
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"It's never too late to be who we might have been" George Elliot
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Post subject: Re: Saint George's Day
Posted: Apr 24, 2010 - 02:38 AM
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Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Posts: 2397
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And now for something completely different.....
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Post subject: Re: Saint George's Day
Posted: Apr 24, 2010 - 08:17 AM
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Joined: Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 14327
Location: Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Kahil Gibran
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| greenchick wrote: | | Today is Saint George's Day and very few people actually realise it We are supposed to be celebrating England yet there's something about that concept that seems to go against the whole ethos of "Englishness"; There are things that we can be proud of, uncontroversial things like Shakespeare and the English language but the Right seem to have made it hard for "normal" people to celebrate pride in their country...and when I say the "Right" I mean the hard, holocaust denying Right, not just conservatives. Maybe that's one reason why football is so popular in that it allows us to express ourselves in that way... |
Time to loosen up a bit and do a reenactment of the slaying of the dragon. 
Hope you had a splendid day by George!  |
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