St. George's Day (redirected from St George's Day)

St. George's Day

April 23; November 23

Nothing much is known for certain about St. George, but the patron saint of England is popularly known in medieval legend for slaying a vicious dragon that was besieging a town in Cappadocia. After being fed two sheep a day, they became scarce and people had to be given instead—beginning with the king's daughter. She was on her way to the dragon's den to be sacrificed when she met St. George, who insisted on fighting the dragon and, according to another legend, eventually stunned it with his spear. Making a leash out of the princess's sash, he let her lead the monster back to the city like a pet dog. When the people saw what had happened, they were converted to Christianity. To this day, St. George is often depicted with a dragon.
St. George's Day, sometimes referred to as Georgemas, has been observed as a religious feast as well as a holiday since the 13th century. In the United States, there are St. George's societies in Philadelphia, New York City, Charleston, S.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to charitable causes that hold annual dinners on this day.
St. George's Day is celebrated on November 23 as a national holiday in the Republic of Georgia. A festival is held at the cathedral of Mtskheta, the old capital and religious center of Georgia.
See also Georgiritt; Golden Chariot and Battle of the Lumecon, Procession of the; St. George's Day in Bulgaria; St. George's Day in Syria

CONTACTS:
Georgian Embassy
2209 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-387-2390; fax: 202-387-0864
embassy.mfa.gov.ge

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 308
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 539
BkFest-1937, pp. 58, 104, 169, 330
DaysCustFaith-1957, pp. 98, 287
DictDays-1988, pp. 46, 102
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 93
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 63, 231
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 299
OxYear-1999, p. 166

Celebration days: Apr 23, Nov 23

Celebrated in: Brazil, Bulgaria, Syria

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St. George's Day (Bulgaria)

May 6

St. George's Day, or Gergiovden, is one of the most important celebrations in Bulgaria. It marks the start of the stock-breeding season. The sheep are turned out to graze on the eve of this day because the dew is believed to have curative powers. Special foods are served the following day, traditional songs are sung, and both livestock and their pens are decorated with blossoming willow twigs.
Traditional rural Bulgarian belief holds that someone who is born on this day is blessed with wisdom and beauty. In some areas a lamb is slaughtered, and the door sill is smeared with its blood to protect the house from witches, illness, and other forms of bad luck.

SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 78
BkFest-1937, p. 71

Celebration day: May 6

Celebrated in: Bulgaria

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St. George's Day (Syria) (Id Mar Jurjus)

April 23

In Syria, where he is known as Mar Jurjus, St. George is honored not only by Christians but by Muslims, who know him as al-Khidr and at one time identified him with the prophet Elijah. There are shrines dedicated to St. George throughout the country, and several monasteries mark sites where the saint is said to have revealed himself. One of the most important is the monastery at Humeira, near Tripoli, Syria, where both Christians and Muslims from all over Syria attend a folk festival each year on St. George's Day, April 23.

CONTACTS:
Embassy of Syria
2215 Wyoming Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-232-6313; fax: 202-234-9548
www.syrianembassy.us

SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 330
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 81

Celebration day: Apr 23

Celebrated in: Syria