Happy St George’s Day!

[Taipan]

321…

[Mr Moofo]

Odd how every pub doesn't have bunting out celibrating St Goergie's day, selling hot dogs, mead, traditional ale and customer dressed up as dragons.

Or is that just for St Paddys Day when everyone can become faux Oirish?

[gremlin]

Tis also the date of the birth, and death, of our country's greatest playwright, Willy Shakespeare.

Screenshot_20240423_113817_copy_286x428.jpg (32.22 KiB) Viewed 462 times

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts."

[Taipan]

St George has many patronages. Patron saints tend to. He isn't solely Englands', because he is a patron saint. WTF do we have to explain this to the hard of thinking every St Georges' day!

CRY ‘GOD FOR HARRY, ENGLAND, AND SAINT GEORGE!

[Taipan]

Tis also the date of the birth, and death, of our country's greatest playwright, Willy Shakespeare.
Screenshot_20240423_113817_copy_286x428.jpg


"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts."

I have had the honour of digitising his first folio.

[JackyJoll]

[gremlin]

Odd how every pub doesn't have bunting out celibrating St Goergie's day, selling hot dogs, mead, traditional ale and customer dressed up as dragons.

Or is that just for St Paddys Day when everyone can become faux Oirish?

Paddy's Day comes slap in the middle of Lent, and dispensation was given by the Church for the Irish to celebrate. No wonder then, that during the lean times of Lent, the chance was seized upon.

Since every day of being English is cause for celebration, it's no wonder George's Day is a rather restrained affair.

[gremlin]

Tis also the date of the birth, and death, of our country's greatest playwright, Willy Shakespeare.
Screenshot_20240423_113817_copy_286x428.jpg


"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts."

I have had the honour of digitising his first folio.

I love a bit of Willy....

Westmoreland:
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!

King:
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin, Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words—
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester—
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.


Never hold your manhood cheap.

For them that don't like reading too much.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Yep, happy random Tunisian/ Armenian or whatever day that a French man decided to make England's patron saint.

[Sadlonelygit]

Just about sums it all up!
You have a Greek Roman soldier as your patron saint, yet moan about all the immigrants!
Can't have it all ways chaps!

[Whysub]

It is also Saint Georges Day (Sant Jordi or Día de San Jorge) in the Catalan region of Spain. It is also a Public Holiday.

Today many Catalonian men present their female relatives with roses. Lovers also swap gifts of books and roses on this day.

Cultural lesson for the day is now over.

[weeksy]

It's actually pretty sad though isn't it. Being proud to be English isn't a thing. Arguably it's more of an insult/slur, it's seen as racist, bigoted and hooligan rather than being proud to be a distant part of the gentry that ruled the world and had nobles, kings, queens, knights eve... But no, it can't be celebrated.

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

[Mr Moofo]

Just about sums it all up!
You have a Greek Roman soldier as your patron saint, yet moan about all the immigrants!
Can't have it all ways chaps!

St Patrick apparently was originally English and taken at the age of 16 by Irish pirates as a slave.
Might be able to claim reprations of the current Irish government

It's actually pretty sad though isn't it. Being proud to be English isn't a thing. Arguably it's more of an insult/slur, it's seen as racist, bigoted and hooligan rather than being proud to be a distant part of the gentry that ruled the world and had nobles, kings, queens, knights eve... But no, it can't be celebrated.

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

It is very sad that the Welsh are proud of their heritage and culture, as are the Scots and the Irish. But not the English

It all got hi-jacked by the far right because they were allowed to by a complete lack of interest by most English. The real shame in anyone slightly left of centre in beliefs seems to be embrarassed to be English

[gremlin]

But no, it can't be celebrated.

If it's any consolation, my Swedish employer held a St. George's Day fika this morning.

How's that for cultural integration?!

[Taipan]

It's actually pretty sad though isn't it. Being proud to be English isn't a thing. Arguably it's more of an insult/slur, it's seen as racist, bigoted and hooligan rather than being proud to be a distant part of the gentry that ruled the world and had nobles, kings, queens, knights eve... But no, it can't be celebrated.

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

It is a great shame. I like it when people have pride in anything really. It brings a positive vibe to things. Sadly a lot of people find joy in creating misery...

[Mr Moofo]

It's actually pretty sad though isn't it. Being proud to be English isn't a thing. Arguably it's more of an insult/slur, it's seen as racist, bigoted and hooligan rather than being proud to be a distant part of the gentry that ruled the world and had nobles, kings, queens, knights eve... But no, it can't be celebrated.

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

It is a great shame. I like it when people have pride in anything really. It brings a positive vibe to things. Sadly a lot of people find joy in creating misery...

And ironic when you think of the violent pasts that the Germans, Belgians, Spanish, Dutch and French had as colonial nations.

[Count Steer]

Isn't the problem with it that the flag has become primarily associated with a certain type of football fan and some rather unsavoury political groups that literally and metaphorically wrap themselves in it? Hard to undo that.

Stick one in your window or run one up the flagpole in the garden and people think you're the local BNP HQ.

[Pirahna]

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

It's a public holiday in Ireland, St Patricks day parades are a thing, so some of us care.

[weeksy]

St PAtricks day, i don't think any Irish give a fuck, it's just an excuse to get trashed and drink till they fall down.

It's a public holiday in Ireland, St Patricks day parades are a thing, so some of us care.

What do you care about ?

[gremlin]

It is a great shame. I like it when people have pride in anything really. It brings a positive vibe to things. Sadly a lot of people find joy in creating misery...

I think it's partly a cultural thing, as us English don't like braggards, boasters or those who self-promote tirelessly. Just not cricket, old chap. That, and our sense of self-deprecation, means we tend to downplay things, not make a fuss, etc., etc.

For what it's worth, I'm proud of my national heritage. Yes, there are episodes in history where we should (and rightly, do) hang our heads in shame, but there are plenty of times when our national has stood up and done the right thing, punched above its weight and created way above our fair share of great thinkers. All that, and fry ups too.

Gawd bless ya, guv. Fair brings a tear to yer ol' peepers, so it does.