April 23rd: England celebrates the feast day of Saint George.
To be honest, it's not something that all Brits celebrate. St. Patrick's day may be an excuse to dress like a twonk and drink over-nitrogenated stool-water masquerading as dry stout; St. George's Day tends to lead to head-scratching as what to do. After all, many are unclear as to how a Roman soldier who was born in Syria Palaestina and died a Christian martyr in Turkey became the patron saint not only of England but of over another dozen countries.
Well, Christian martyrdom and popular veneration made Saint George the figure he is today. Poor Saint Edmund was edged out as England's patron saint in the fourteenth century, possibly because George wasn't connected by legend to England and associated neither to a particular guild nor location.
A man of principle and belief, unafraid to stand up for what he believed in, venerated by Christians and Muslims alike. I'd say that was good cause to celebrate.
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