St George’s Day 2024: England’s legendary story and how to celebrate

St George’s Day is the feast day of England’s patron saint and is celebrated on April 23, to commemorate the anniversary of his death in 303 AD.

Also known as The Feast of Saint George, it is a customary celebration of various Christian churches, as well as other nations, states and countries of which Saint George is the patron saint - including Bulgaria Portugal, Romania and Spanish communities such as Aragon and Catalonia.

The legend of Saint George and the Dragon tells the tale of the saint taming and slaying a dragon and has been recalled to imaginative minds since the Crusades and the Hundred Years’ War.

Many people still celebrate St George today - marking the occasion by lighting up buildings in white and red, the colours of the English flag.

But if you’re lesser acquainted with England’s legendary figure, we’ve got your questions answered. From the history behind the dragon slayer, to more about the celebrations in this country and across the world, here is everything you need to know about St George’s Day.

The Feast Day of Saint George is celebrated annually on April 23 (today!).

Recognised annually on the anniversary of St George’s death, the day was previously a national holiday and was once celebrated as widely as Christmas.

Born around AD 280, in what is now known as Cappadocia, Turkey, St George was a Christian martyr and became a soldier in the Roman army. He later progressed to the role of a personal guard for the Emperor Diocletian.

The emperor was one of the leaders of the Great Persecution of Christians, which saw churches destroyed, scriptures burnt and followers of the religion prohibited from joining the army and assemble for worship.

St George protested against such persecution and remained dedicated to his Christian faith, consequently facing imprisonment and torture. He was eventually beheaded in Palestine on April 23, AD 303.

His head was taken to, and stored, in the church dedicated to him in Rome, while the rest of his body was buried in Lod, Israel.

His strength, courage and loyalty to his faith soon spread around Europe, and it even inspired his wife to allegedly convert to Christianity, despite also facing execution herself.