St. George’s day

Everyone has heard the story of Saint George and dragon. But beyond the legend, how much about the man do we actually know? Our inquisitive nature, dedication to the truth, and a lazy Wednesday afternoon led hungryhouse to investigate. So, here are some things that you might not know about our mysterious patron Saint.

Where was St. George born? Although historical records are a little bit hazy, St George is believed to have been born in ancient Cappadocia. That’s modern day Turkey to you and me.

When did St. George live? Third century A.D. His actual birth date is unknown, but he is believed to have died on April 23, 303A.D.

Is St. George the Patron Saint of England only? No. Many other Patronages of Saint George exist around the world, including: Georgia, Egypt, Bulgaria, Aragon, Catalonia, Romania, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Iraq, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Serbia, Ukraine and Russia

Did St. George ever actually visit England? There are no records showing that St George actually visited England and many historians believe it is highly unlikely he ever did.

How did St. George die? St. George was a Christian soldier in the Roman army. He was executed for his beliefs in Nicomedia (modern day Izmit) in Turkey.

St George’s day food. All around the world St. Georges day is celebrated with a large meal or feast. However, most countries don’t have a specific, traditional dish for the day. The one notable exception is Bulgaria, where it is traditional to roast a whole lamb. This is in honour of St. George’s role as the patron saint of shepherds.

St. George Patronage around the world

As mentioned above, St. George is the patron Saint of many other countries besides England. So here a few little facts about the celebration of St. George worldwide.

Georgia – An 18th century Georgian geographer and historian Vakhushti Bagrationi wrote that there were 365 Orthodox churches in Georgia named after Saint George, according to the number of days in a year.

India – One of the Main pilgrimages of St. George in Kerala is at Edappally (Ernakulam District), where the feast is celebrated on May 4th. Edathwa also attracts thousands of pilgrims. Angamaly Basilica (church) is named after St. George.

In all Christian families in India, especially Kerala, the name George or Varghese is very popular.

Lebanon – St. George is the patron saint of the capital, Beirut. Many bays around Lebanon are named after Saint George, most notably the ‘Saint George Bay’ in Beirut.

Spain – St. George’s feast date, April 23, is one of the most important holidays in Catalonia, where it is traditional to give a present to the loved one; red roses for women and books for men. In Aragon it is a public holiday, celebrated as the ‘National Day of Aragon’. It is also a public holiday in Castile and Leon.

USA - St. George is the patron saint of the Boy Scouts of America.