St Georges Day
I am quite happy with St George being largely ignored. Why he ever became the English patron saint seems to be myth, and personally I feel that all 'patron saints' could be ignored without any loss of anything worthwhile.
Quote:St Andrew's Day is national holiday up here in Scotland. I fail to see why April 23 shouldn't have the same status!
I think this needs a bit of clarification.
Quote: Should I get a day off work for St Andrew’s Day?
In more recent years, the Scottish Parliament passed the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007 in 2006, designating 30 November an official bank holiday. If the day falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be designated a bank holiday instead.
However, according to the Scottish Government, banks are not required to close on St Andrew’s Day, and employers do not have to give their employees the day off.
Another Bank holiday just after Easter and before the mayday bank holiday - unlikely.
Labour also want St David (1st march), Patrick (17th March) - March/April/May would be good months - though St Andrews (30th Nov) may help the calendar imbalance.
Personally i'd like to see more focus on efficient working at work, and more emphasis on efficient working at home for households where all the parents/carers are also all working full time.
More parents and carers at home helping kids after school should help with creating a better society for all.
Labour also want St David (1st march), Patrick (17th March) - March/April/May would be good months - though St Andrews (30th Nov) may help the calendar imbalance.
Personally i'd like to see more focus on efficient working at work, and more emphasis on efficient working at home for households where all the parents/carers are also all working full time.
More parents and carers at home helping kids after school should help with creating a better society for all.
I would rather see a Bank Holiday for Armistice Day - at least that would be worth remembering.
How about the end of May to mark the end of the Boer War.
St Andrew wasn't Scottish, neither was St Patrick from Ireland. Only Wales can claim their saint as their own but if someone wants to celebrate their countries' saint day, why not just let them. Dear old George was patron saint of England long before the myth of the dragon arose and even that probably doesn't refer to an actual dragon.
St Andrew wasn't Scottish, neither was St Patrick from Ireland. Only Wales can claim their saint as their own but if someone wants to celebrate their countries' saint day, why not just let them. Dear old George was patron saint of England long before the myth of the dragon arose and even that probably doesn't refer to an actual dragon.
Quote:I am quite happy with St George being largely ignored. Why he ever became the English patron saint seems to be myth, and personally I feel that all 'patron saints' could be ignored without any loss of anything worthwhile.
He was named patron saint of England for refusing to recant his faith despite being tortured. For seven years. Seems as good as reason as any. The fact he never set foot here is beside the point.
Big Bri - Well for me that is all pretty meaningless. I suspect that there have been, in History, many English people who have refused to recant their faith, many of whom were probably also tortured but even in refusing to recant his faith did he do anything which benefitted the English? But the whole idea of patron saints seems to me to be something which those who are of a religious mind may well wish to revere, so let those who wish to revere a saint do so. But to impose upon the vast majority a day when we are to remember him seems to be something from a byegone era. The fallen from the First and Second World wars and all subsequent men and women who have given their lives to protect their country seem to me to be far more worthy.
Christmas was originally a pagan festival celebrating the return of the light, the winter solstice being a few days previously, the same with Easter - a pagan festival celebrating the return of growth in the land. The fact that Christians hijacked these festivals for their own purposes seems to me rather a raw deal for us pagans. As far as is known Jesus was born around October!
