To not really like or approve of St George's Day?

[BlueDressingGown]

I don't like it and I don't really want my children to participate in our village parade.

I don't really give a monkeys about 'patron saints' and am not of the faith that initially made him a saint. I don't believe in saints. I don't think people should be sainted. He was nothing to do with England and never came to England. (I'm also not English, by the way, but now living in England, but that's not why I don't like him!)

I also feel that this day gets seized on by English nationalists and used to stir up racist feelings regarding people who 'aren't really English'.

Firstly, just because a small minority of racist idiots choose to misappropriate St George's Day doesn't seem a good reason to cancel the occasion for the majority.
Secondly, most St George's Day celebrations seem low key enough for you to ignore if you want to.
Thirdly, I believe our original patron saint was the English king St Edmund, would you have felt any better if we were celebrating his day?
Lastly, almost nobody cares that Saint George was a saint or what being a saint means. You're overthinking the issue.

Saying that you don't approve of something is not at all the same thing as saying that it 'requires your approval'. Of course. I don't approve of spitting in the street but that doesn't mean that I think that people should ask my permission first. I think that the questions demanding whether I celebrate other festivals are more goady than anything I've posted at all. This is about this particular festival - where it comes from, what it now represents and who feels entitled to celebrate it.

I don't like the festival. I don't think it's very nice or inclusive. I've explained why. I am genuinely interested to know if I'm the only one. Some have said that they don't think much of it. Others are pretty keen on it. I am enjoying the sharing of opinions and don't mind being told I'm being unreasonable of course. I always feel a little startled when posters are rude to one another on here, as I can't really see the reason behind it, or the point.

I was astonished to see a display of St George's Day cards in a shop on Saturday. Who would you send one to? Why would you send one?

What particular element of St George's Day isn't very 'nice'?

And which particular element has left you feeling excluded?

Blue is it because you're not English? Would you feel more involved if you were?

Do you have a national day in your native country?

He also invented the cross.

Oh lighten up Blue. It's not exactly doing any harm is it? I wish we were more patriotic instead of embarrassed/reluctant. If celebrating St George's Day were more widely adopted then it would prevent it become the preserve of small-minded bigots.

Wow - I've never seen a St George's Day card!

I think that the difference between this and other 'festivals with religious origins' that people have mentioned is that this one seems to make 'being English' synonymous with 'celebrating St George'. People can celebrate Christmas if they are Christian, or they can choose to celebrate Christmas as a non-Christian festival, or they can choose not to celebrate Christmas - but nobody is saying that Christmas is a national English festival of Englishness, and yet linking it to one very small part of the huge plethora of religions and non-religions that make up 'English people'.

I'm not a big fan of pointless traditions based on myths and legends but I don't object to them being celebrated. It's just like me enjoying Christmas even though I'm an atheist - you don't have to appreciate the myths behind it to have a good time. I don't know why you wouldn't want your children to have fun in a parade because of this?

4

Hmmmmmm......okkayyyyyy

I know I sound like I'm being a 'fun-sponge' (NEVER heard that before and love it!) but it's only cos I'm discussing the issue. I've never mentioned it before. The kids do St George stuff at school and I don't purse up my lips like a cat's bum and pull them out of all St George-related activities. I smile and accept their wonky flags and pin them up and read them the books that get sent home about St George - send them in dressed as knights or whatever. The parade is not a fun 'dressing up' and banner waving kind of thing though - it's all done very seriously here and I find it a bit much/odd. I've never bothered with my own country's national celebration either - not for any particular reason.

I think asking if you avoid other festivals is reasonable tbh.
Not approving of it can only really be talked about in the context of how reasonable it is and your reasons apply to other similar festivals .
So I'm struggling to see why you have a particular view about this one as opposed to all the others.

In my view it's more about tradition than anything else. I rather object to dunderheads trying to claim it .
A village near here is celebrating and she's going to sing. Frankly she could sing if it were the anniversary of the duck pond as long as it's sunny and someone is selling cakes.

YABU

He also invented tea, cricket, mustn't grumbling, see-through plastic rain covers for old ladies, battenburg cakes and David Niven.

I have always celebrated St George's Day and am very patriotic.

I get really incensed though that by some sections of our society (mainly the loony left) that it is deemed a day that either should be ignored, be low key or or shouldn't happen at all.

The Scots, Welsh and Irish actively encourage a celebration on their national saints day and it is seen as something really positive. Woe betide if the English celebrate, without some loon from the left saying that the racists and far right use it to further their own ends/means. The far right jumped on the band-wagon because they were sick and tired of the loony left actively discouraging St George's Day celebrations and trying to make it a shameful thing to do. (Btw I hate the far-right and loony left as much as each other.) Just leave us English alone to celebrate our national Saints Day.

I am extremely proud that St George's Day is celebrated at my sons school and not ignored in favour of other celebrations. It's a great inclusive school that teaches the children about lots of different cultural celebrations from all over the world, but never misses out the most important one for an English child, being brought up in England.

St George's Day should be a national holiday as far as I am concerned.

Phew - rant over lol

I am really curious to know if there are any mners who have sent or received one of these St George's Day cards. If so why?

My friend and I speculated that they might be aimed at kippers.

Of course YABU. You aren't English but pissing on an English tradition? What's your incentive in posting op? To piss everyone off. I'm pretty sure if I was bringing my children up in a foreign country, I would be courteous to their traditions.

I notice you have avoided the question about other festivals. Will you confirm you don't celebrate Christmas or Easter too? Because by using the same logic you shouldn't.

Why do you think it is only about 'being English'?

I've lived abroad and have never felt that various holidays and festivals and Saints' days were exclusive because I wasn't a local. I don't believe the various national saints' days are here in UK either.

Pagwatch it might be a crossed post thing but I do think this is different to other festivals. There isn't really another festival that takes one particular small religion and then extends it to being a 'celebration of all things English'. Can't we just have a big national holiday and celebration of Englishness without having to celebrate a particular 'saint' from a particular religion (who is NOTHING whatsoever to do with England)? That's the bit that I think is a bit weird.

Rennie what are kippers?

WizardofSnoz I have not avoided the question and I have explained (twice now) why I think the logic is different.

Bowlersarm Am I not allowed to have opinions about the traditions of the country that I am living in? Perhaps you think I shouldn't vote in local elections either? My 'incentive' is to find out if everyone in England really feels passionate about St George, or of others feel (like me) that there would be a better way to celebrate a nationality that involves many different cultures and religions without drawing on the so-called 'saints' of one particular religion.

ukippers. Presumably they must be awash with patriotism!

Not me. I don't want it replaced thanks. I'm very happy with St George's day.