Happy Saint George's Day

a reply to: CulturalResilience

Thank you my friend!

originally posted by: Neith

originally posted by: CulturalResilience

originally posted by: Neith

Peace

Thank you for your kind sentiments in this thread. That picture rocks my world.
Long live England, God save the Queen, Arthur return and St George arise.

It is fully 100% my heritage also. I thought this was most appropriate for your thread!

Long Live England!

Outstanding.

a reply to: Lysergic
Than you and best wishes for the day.

originally posted by: CulturalResilience
That is very interesting. There is a long history of friendship and co-operation between Portugal and England.

Yes, the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance is the oldest international alliance still in effect.

Are you an English person living in Portugal? I was just actually wondering if the English ex-pat community in Portugal celebrated the day.

No, I'm Portuguese.

I see. You might be able to help with something. Regarding the Treaty of Windsor and the long standing alliance etc, I have heard it claimed that Portugal is one of a very few countries that we have managed not to have a war with. Do you know if that is correct?
a reply to: ArMaP

In typical English silliness, we have supported the three other countries in the UK celebrate their "special" day. We have convinced ourself that celebrating Saint George's day as being bad, while it's good that the Scots support "their" day. In fact, we don't bother with Saint George because having shaken off the shackles of the Pope the old "saints days" fell to the side sot he St George apathy is actually historical. In contrast, the Irish celebrations for Saint Patrick are global, but then Ireland is Catholic.

Some ignorant people even believe the flag of Saint George (i.e. the red cross on a white background), which is the English flag is somehow racist. Very sad.

English flag

I agree with a day for English to celebrate Englishness. We need to stop hiding behind the sofa and come out.

originally posted by: paraphi
In typical English silliness, we have supported the three other countries in the UK celebrate their "special" day. We have convinced ourself that celebrating Saint George's day as being bad, while it's good that the Scots support "their" day. In fact, we don't bother with Saint George because having shaken off the shackles of the Pope the old "saints days" fell to the side sot he St George apathy is actually historical. In contrast, the Irish celebrations for Saint Patrick are global, but then Ireland is Catholic.

Some ignorant people even believe the flag of Saint George (i.e. the red cross on a white background), which is the English flag is somehow racist. Very sad.

English flag

I agree with a day for English to celebrate Englishness. We need to stop hiding behind the sofa and come out.

Those who don't like it can stuff it where he sun don't shine.

Those are some very interesting points that you raise. I must admit that I hadn't thought of the catholic angle and the effect on the attitude towards saints in England. I agree that we should make much more of the day than we do and it is sad how our glorious flag is sometimes denigrated as a symbol of intolerance.

I hope you have an enjoyable day.
a reply to: paraphi

a reply to: CulturalResilience

I don't know which countries had not had a war with England or the United Kingdom, but I know Portugal never had a war with either, not even when the UK and Portuguese interests in the area between Angola and Mozambique collided and the UK presented Portugal an ultimatum to give up that land.

There were some clashes between Portuguese and UK forces during that period, as before, when Portugal was under Spanish domination between 1580 and 1640, but there was never a war between Portugal and England/UK.

Although it was a neutral country, Portugal aided the UK during WW II by allowing UK forces to use air fields in the Azores and Madeira, as they did during the Falkland war.

Thanks for the answer. You are indeed fine allies and I am proud to be able to say so. I also have to give you a special vote of thanks for winning Euro 2016. I put a bet on Portugal to win when they were at outside odds of fourteen to one and trousered a tidy sum of the folding stuff.
a reply to: ArMaP

St.George belongs to England , even if others and the Catholics adopted the idea for to hold him a saint . That is because of the Legend , said to be 3000 years old , where George slew the dragon on the mound below the White Horse of Uffington , near Wantage , on the Berkshire Oxfordshire border . There exists on that mound to this day a white scar where the grass refuses to grow . and the grass is prolific up there despite the sheep . The scar on the mound is said to be there because it is where the dragons blood was let .
There's a good reasons the Legend is strong and may have come from
England in that a large or the large yearly marketplace was held a top the defenced hill , and that from days of old in Englnd it's been said that "All roads lead to Wantage" , because of the traditional marketplace there , in the heart of the south . In the days of contraband the tradition continued , with smugglers wayfaring up the now A338 from the quiet dorset coves . It's a beautiful run covering the rolling downs and woodlands also some fantastic rivers and hilly springs. The white horse , which is above the said
scarred spot , is of an impressive size and deeply furrowed into the hillside - and his steed traditionally is white , invoking the continuance of symbolism from generation to generation , and across creeds . The White Horse was put there about 3500 years ago , on the turn of the bronze age into the iron age . Some say this horse was carved to the hill because at 280 metres above sea level , it saved their lives , from a devasting tsunami which also coincides with Moses's escape from Egypt , about 3500 years ago. This could be proven with the fact folded pattern of the now very steep escarpements on the leeward side of these hills from the sea , showing ripping from falling water overtopping the sides and back , but not the top , of the white horse hill . Other nearby hills of similar height also show this effect , where about 200 or so metres is where the wave would have run up to , and heavily scoured the back edges . Something caused the bronze age to become the iron age , and that regression in metalurgical skills from alloys to base metal marks a likely hit of some kind . The slap of waves together at sea are now still called white horses , though the horse is white from the chalk it exposes of course . The escarpment form sa natural ampitheatre , which may well be of note to the legends too .

The notion of a saint comes from solomon / Davidic biblical times , the Queen of Sheba , Solomon's wisdom , saints are first mentioned by psalms (David) and Proverbs (Solomon) . They are put as those who lived by the law of morality , God's Law of course . It's likely George is celebrated in this manner because he did a good thing , effectively . Whether the dragon is symbolic has caused debates, or just the mind to wander amongst the mystery . I read a book on this , or some of it , and it had the idea that children were involved somewhere , like being fed to this dragon , and his chivalry could have been a kindness to their mothers , as it follows the theme of predation and protection . The lady writer had a thing about chivalry anyway , taking it a little off course as historical discourse, but anyhow he still is , a legend .

Happy St.Georges day one and all , and its all good tomorrow too

St George's day represents little to me (and i'm a Briton of England). As a non Christian i only have a dog slightly in the fight but it is a shame that he is not a real saint, St Alban would seem the obvious patron saint but that's kings for you.

See, it represents little of England's culture and history really, we dont even use "our own" legend for our flag, nuts to the cross of saint george. It's the Shield of Sir Galahad and that is actually one of our own stories and part of the mythology of the land.

So i do nowt special for the day's sake. I'm part enough of the living culture of my home and honestly see too many folk singing of their love of the land when they do so little to learn and maintain the history and traditions, and that irks me somewhat due to my own love and engagement with all that jazz.

it'd be cool to see less folk at the pub and more going out to do something their ancestors did thay they cant, or at least have not done yet.

Learn to shoot a longbow, go sailing, play a village game of murderball, hold a gurning championship, fight with quarterstaffs, seduce a wench in a stone circle or oppress the welsh with a performance by your morris troupe.

Getting pissed in a footie shirt just doesnt cut it imo