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When is St George's Day?
St George's Day falls on Friday, April 23, 2027.
About St George's Day
St George's Day falls on April 23 every year and honours Saint George, the patron saint of England. According to legend, St George was a Roman soldier who refused to give up his Christian faith and was martyred around 303 AD. He is best remembered for the story in which he kills a dragon and saves a princess. The English flag, a red cross on a white background, is the cross of St George. Despite his standing as patron saint, St George's Day is not a public holiday in England, and it is observed far more quietly than St Patrick's Day is in Ireland. April 23 also coincides with the traditional birth and death anniversary of William Shakespeare, who is said to have been born on April 23, 1564 and to have died on April 23, 1616. St George is the patron saint of Catalonia and Georgia as well, along with several other countries and regions.
St George's Day was a major public holiday in medieval England. Edward III gave it that standing in 1348, when he founded the Order of the Garter under St George's patronage. After the English Reformation in the 16th century, observance gradually faded. There have been occasional campaigns to restore April 23 as a public holiday in England, including by the Royal Society of St George, but no government has yet adopted it. The overlap with Shakespeare's traditional birth and death dates has long been noted, and April 23 is also the date UNESCO keeps as World Book Day in many countries. St George's Day is the patronal feast of Catalonia as well, where it is widely kept as Sant Jordi, a day on which books and roses are exchanged in a custom similar to Valentine's Day.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Saint George?
Saint George is the patron saint of England, though by tradition he was not English. He is generally thought to have been a Roman soldier, probably from the eastern empire, who was executed around 303 AD for refusing to give up his Christian faith during a persecution under the emperor Diocletian. Very little firm history survives about him. The famous tale of George slaying a dragon to rescue a princess is a later legend, which spread widely in medieval Europe and became fixed to his name.
Is St George's Day a public holiday in England?
St George's Day, April 23, is not a public holiday in England. It is a normal working day, with no day off attached, and it is marked far more quietly than the national days of many other countries. There have been repeated campaigns to make it a bank holiday, arguing that England lacks a clear national day, but no government has adopted the idea. Some councils, churches and pubs hold events, and a few buildings fly the St George's flag, but observance is low-key.
Why is St George the patron saint of England?
St George became closely linked with England in the medieval period, well after his death. His reputation as a brave Christian soldier appealed to the age of the Crusades, and English kings adopted him. Edward III placed his new Order of the Garter under St George's patronage in 1348, which sealed the saint's status. The red cross of St George became the English flag. He never visited England, and he is honoured as a patron in several other countries and regions too.
Why do St George's Day and Shakespeare's birthday share a date?
April 23 is both St George's Day and the traditional date of William Shakespeare's birth and death. Shakespeare was baptised on April 26, 1564, and baptisms usually took place a few days after birth, so April 23 became the accepted birth date. He died on April 23, 1616. The match with England's national saint's day is a coincidence, but a neat one, and it is part of why April 23 was chosen as the date for UNESCO's World Book Day in many countries.
How is St George's Day celebrated in other countries?
St George is honoured well beyond England. In the Spanish region of Catalonia, April 23 is Sant Jordi, one of the most popular days of the year, when people exchange books and roses in a custom often compared to Valentine's Day. Georgia, the country, honours St George as its national patron and keeps major feast days for him, though on dates other than April 23. He is also a patron of places such as Aragon and of cities including Moscow, and is honoured by Orthodox as well as Catholic Christians.