St George’s day celebrates England and the Patron Saint himself. St George day takes place on the 23rd April and is celebrated by various Christian churches and by the several nations. The English National flag is Saint George’s cross which is a red cross on a white background.
St George became Patron Saint of England in 1415 AD when English Soldiers under Henry V won the battle of Agincourt. St George was born to Christian parents and was devoted to the Christian faith. He moved to Palestine and became a high rank of Tribunus Militum in the roman army. However he left his post after the persecution of Christians which then led him to start a rebellion against the Roman Emperor. His rebellion also led to his imprisonment and torture but he stayed true to his faith; his commitment to his faith and bravery enraged the Emperor and had him dragged through the streets (of Nicomedia, Turkey) and then beheaded him on the 23rd of April 303 AD.
Even though his death was in 303 AD, Britain’s first recorded reference of Saint George wasn’t until the 7th Century. The reference was by St Adomnánm (the Abbot of Iona in Scotland) who was taught the stories and exploits of St George by a French bishop named Arcuif who had travelled to Jerusalem with the crusaders. When the Crusaders returned to England they brought the tales of St George, and his reputation grew. English soldiers wore a sign of St George on their chest and on their backs in the 14th century because he was regarded as a special protector of the English.
Facts of St George’s life have passed through the centuries growing in myth and legend, so it's difficult to extract the historical facts of a real life. His most famous and recognised tale (myth) is of St George and the Dragon. The original story begins with a town in Libya which has a beautiful pond, as large as a lake, however the lake was home to a dragon that poisoned all the countryside. The people of the town fed the dragon two sheep every day to prevent it from attacking them. Yet, when the sheep failed, they began to give it one sheep and one man. The king decreed that the human sacrifice should be chosen by a lot which continued until the king's daughter was selected. The king tried to bargain his with the townspeople to spare his daughter but they were adamant that she should be delivered to the dragon. As the princess approached the lake, St George was passing by and asked her what was happening, she tried to send him away but he vowed to remain put. As the dragon approached the Princess and St George, he protected himself using the sign of the cross and charged at the dragon with his spear and injured the beast. He then took it back to the town and told the people that if they converted to Christianity and became baptised, he would slay the dragon before them. The king and the people converted to Christianity and George killed the dragon. This was the story according to ‘The Golden Legend’.
