Happy St. George's Day everyone on Cyclechat

[Maz]

Steady on....... ;-)

Don't worry, rob - that whole dragon thing is a myth. Then again, maybe Georgie boy killed them all.

 

[Fnaar]

Whatever or whoever St George was, he is associated with a day when we celebrate this country and what it is all about. Being Brits, this tends to be done in an understated way. Also being Brits, we get miffed if others seem to have it better than us, and we want some of the action (e.g. national days in many other countries). My parents came here as immigrants (only from ireland, but it was a long way away in the 50s). They came to better themselves, having both suffered long-term unemployment, and having few prospects over there. This country welcomed them, gave them employment, and put me through school and uni for nowt. So ra ra ra! thanks England, you're fab!
And happy birthday also to those above...

 

[Twenty Inch]

St. Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity.

St. David lived and died in Wales.

St. George was a Roman Legionary who converted to Christianity and met a martyr's death in the Middle East (the Christian obsession with violent death rearing its ugly head again, but that's another story). He was adopted as England's patron saint for pragmatic reasons of national identity formation.

Not much to identify with, really.

On the other hand though, it's nice to see the George's Cross being reclaimed from the racists.

 

[Brock]

It's a sad day when someone English (which you presumably are) should feel uncomfortable or 'slightly racist' at a celebration of your nationality.

It's people like you that allow the PC brigade free-reign, which does nothing but divide, not unite.

Altogether now...

"Baa Baa Green Sheep....".

I'm English yes, I have no problem with people celebrating their nationality if that's what they want to do, I'd just like to see it being done in a less chavtastic bigoted tabloidesque and commercial way, if it's worth doing at all. I'm all for any excuse for a beer, but I'm just not quite sure what we're supposed to be raising our glasses to here. It's not tradition to have a knees up on this day is it?

 

[Brock]

Any reason that we shouldn't celebrate it? Or that a desire to should stem from vaguely racist nationalism? I won't be getting ratted, or the other things you describe - the nippers will be having a St. George's day lunch at the school though, and I'll be wearing the red & white buff described earlier. I'll probably have a read of England, My England at some point too. Fairly quiet and understated, as such things go, compared with St. Patrick's day, for example, or the celebration of 4th July in the 'states, or Bastille Day in France. And I doubt anyone will feel left out for not celebrating it, or berated for failing to display a flag, or compelled to feel that they should join in if they don't want to.

Where's the harm in that?

There's no harm in that at all, sounds very English and I appreciate your desire to reflect on what our society means to us. Shame the plastic flagged bigotry and football based nationalism that seems to get whipped up at times like this in an attempt to sell beer/silly hats isn't so thoughtful.

 

[Maz]

He was also Turkish.

What utter rubbish - you should hang your head in shame.
He was English. Just like the baby Jesus was.
B)

 

[Stwutter]

I have no problem with people celebrating their nationality if that's what they want to do, I'd just like to see it being done in a less chavtastic bigoted tabloidesque and commercial way, if it's worth doing at all.

If you'd have put that in your original post, you might've got a better reply.

I agree to an extent, but don't tar everyone with the same brush. Having a day where we celebrate being English, however you want to conceive that, is fine. Scrapping it would just cause more of a stink that it would be worth.

 

[Twenty Inch]

What utter rubbish - you should hang your head in shame.
He was English. Just like the baby Jesus was.
B)

Class, well done.

 

[byegad]

St George is the patron saint of Portugal, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia, Catalonia, and Moscow.

He was also Turkish.

Celebrate his day if you wish. I hope you have a jolly good time.

Happy Saint George's day.

And Syphilis and The Boy Scouts, as was!

I'm puzzled by our attitude to this, the other members of the United Kingdom seem happy to proclaim who they are.

I'm proud to be English, and a Yorshireman, and a European. But I'm prouder still to be a (tri)cyclist! Horrah! for us!