Should St George's Day be a holiday?

[AB Asks]

St George's Day could be a public holiday within the next couple of years if reports are to be believed. There has always been a reluctance to make April 23 a countrywide holiday, but Scotland's decision to make St Andrew's Day a voluntary holiday last year could help inspire a change. Do you think that St George's Day should be a public holiday?

[Whickerman]

As a proud Irishman, I say that "Yes, St George's Day should indeed be a national English holiday"!

We have St. Patrick's day, and it's a reminder of who we are. You guys need that.

[Gromit]

I see no point in SGD being a public holiday and see no relevance or reason to celebrate a 1800 year old Turk.

[Avatar]

I am all for us English remembering our patron saints day. However we have 2 bank holidays in April and another 2 in May so another one this time of year is bit OTT I think .
We ought to have a Trafalgar Day in October instead. As an added bonus it'll wind up the French a treat.

[sp1814]

We do have a surplus of bank holidays around this time of year, so I don't think another one on April 23rd makes sense, but I think it should still be celebrated in some way.

[sp1814]

Sorry - I retract - I don't mean we have 'too many' bank holidays at this time of year. I mean, 'we have enough at this time and not enough later in the year'.

[gina32]

ont new year and burns night my local supermarket make a big thing of it but on st georges day, nothing, last time i looked i still lived in england, so why does this happen???

[sp1814]

gina32

It's because there's no tradition of celebrating St George's Day.

Happens every year. People ask 'Why can't we celebrate St George's Day?' - but no-one actually does anything.

The shops should be filled with rubbish blow up dragons and stuff - but apart from that...what?

No-one really knows about St George or really cares.

[Gromit]

Didn't go to this, but shows that there is some interest the the old Turk...

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/ 1005/1005185_crowds_flock_to_st_georges_parade .html

[jake-the-peg]

Magna Carta day's a much better idea

a) Celebrates something real that England's given to the world

b) Has stood the test of time

c) Good time of year June

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5028496.stm

[Reverandfunk]

St Georges Day? Hhhhmmmmm let me think someone born in what is now Turkey in the 4th century, could someone please explain why he is our patron saint? Another ancient fairytale, like Christmas and Easter (Christianity ripping off the Pagans) St Patricks Day (chance for a p@@@ up in the middle of lent. We should be proud to be English 365 days not just one.

[kwicky]

With history being rewritten and in some cases removed from the curriculum would celebrating St George's Day be classed as racialist?

[Gromit]

kwicky

There are in fact no historic sources for St. George, his story is merely legend, so the History books are better off without this fairy story.

Not racialist, as I mention above, Machester had a parade and made it a multicultal event, which considering the diverse range of peoples worldwide which venerate him, is very apt.

[jedimistress]

I think we have too many Bank Holidays at this time of year, which is fine if you work for thh civil service, but not if you work for a family firm like I do. I don't get paid or if I do, I have to take the day as holiday! No double time or time in leiu here.

[Lonnie]

get rid of that useless May Day bank holiday, and make the 23rd April one instaed, but you have to be fair, St George, St Andrew and St David, their days should all be Bak Holidays.

[lilacben]

Yes we should have St. George's day as a bank holiday. It is about time it was .! Children in England should be proud to be British.

[Pippa68]

Or English, even ;o)

[WendyS]

I'm all in favour having a national public holiday but as we have several in quick succession around this time I think it would be better to spread them out and perhaps have one in the autumn. Trafalgar Day might be a good candidate, or perhaps we simply invent a new one.

[MustafaTickl]

The EU is now above all, and perhaps it might have been more appropriate for the question to ask if it was not now time to ditch these potty little individual saints and replace them with just one for the EU.

A good saint for the EU would be Saint Oswald. He completed the first Minster at York in stone, there are more than 170 churches dedicated to him in Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy and his statue overlooks the Grand Canal in Venice.

Gliding past his statue in a gondola would make a much better day out than poncing around in Trafalgar Square listening to Ken Livingstone. Ryanair would probably get us there and back for �9.99.

[Ric.ror]

We need another one to keep up with the French - it has been suggested that we have Churchills birthday but as that is in October whats the chances of having a nice day for that. No St Georges Day & Shakespeares birthday combined is by far the best day and late April has a better chance for good weather