![\"St](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248493526-32d4.jpg\")
\n\t\tSt George\u2019s Cross flags are displayed by residents of the Kirby Estate in Bermondsey (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tSt George\u2019s Cross flags are displayed by residents of the Kirby Estate in Bermondsey (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
If you were planning on waving your St George\u2019s Day<\/a> flag to celebrate England\u2019s patron saint today, you will be surprised to learn you have the wrong date. <\/p>\n St George\u2019s Day<\/a> is usually celebrated on April 23 each year, but the Church of England put back the date to Monday April 28 as no saint\u2019s day can take place in the week before or after Easter<\/a>. <\/p>\n A note issued by the church states: \u2018When St George\u2019s Day or St Mark\u2019s Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.<\/p>\n \u2018If both fall in this period, St George\u2019s Day is transferred to the Monday and St Mark\u2019s Day to the Tuesday.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2019, politicians including Sir Keir Starmer, then Prime Minister Theresa May and London Mayor Sadiq Khan all posted a message on the wrong date. <\/p>\n It led to a church historian branding politicians as \u2018illiterate about Christianity\u2019. \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t It\u2019s our national day and an\u00a0Anglican and Catholic festival.<\/p>\n St George became a legendary figure for his courage and bravery \u2013 even though he never actually set foot in England.<\/p>\n However, he wasn\u2019t English and, no, he didn\u2019t slay a dragon.<\/p>\n Very little is known about the real man, although it is thought he was Greek, born in the third century in what was then Syria Palaestina.<\/p>\n He was a Roman soldier turned Christian martyr.<\/p>\n It is believed he protested against the persecution of Christians and was subsequently\u00a0tortured and killed because of his religion.<\/p>\n \t\t Last year an event to mark\u00a0St George\u2019s Day<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0London<\/a>\u00a0descended into chaos after attendees broke through a cordon<\/a> and started fighting with police.<\/p>\n A number of groups believed to be linked to football hooligan firms and the far-right travelled across the UK to march on Whitehall today to commemorate St George\u2019s day.<\/p>\n But the\u00a0Metropolitan Police<\/a>\u00a0were forced to intervene as attendees broke through the a barrier an hour before the event began and started attacking officers, prompting the Met to respond by deploying mounted officers to keep the peace.<\/p>\n Footage from the event showed crowds blocking the road while chanting \u2018England til I die,\u2019 while one attendee was spotted attacking a police horse with an umbrella.<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"Mandatory](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248493618-946a.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe divine stilt walkers with their George Cross flags (Picture: Guy Bell\/REX\/Shutterstock)
\nWhy do we celebrate St George\u2019s Day?<\/p>\n![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_248330063-a801.jpg\")
\n\t\tPeople attend St. George\u2019s Day celebrations at Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom on April 21, 2025 (Picture: Zeynep Demir Aslim\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: The \u2018underwhelming\u2019 UK town named one of the most boring places on Earth<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Easter and Good Friday UK weather forecast as \u2018changeable\u2019 conditions roll in<\/a><\/p>\n