Today is St George's Day and, contrary to the rest of the British Isles, the English seem to have an aversion to celebrating their national saint although he still appears on some of the coinage.
The history of St George is vague and fragmented. Perhaps the most widely accepted history is that he was a soldier, born in what is now Turkey, and who was executed in the early 4th Century by the Romans because of his Christian faith. He was adopted as the English patron saint at the time of the Crusdades.
In recent years there has been a small movement towards having St George's Day made into a national holiday. There seems little likelihood of this happening though. Perhaps the politicians feel it might offend some ethnic minority or our European neighbours? |  |