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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

226 replies

BlueDressingGown · 21/04/2015 21:04

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'.

OP posts:
Kelly1814 · 22/04/2015 07:23

I live overseas and you should SEE the celebrations for the national day here. It's unbelievable. We love it, have totally embraced it. Think it's a real shame how bah humbug the uk is.

YABU.

StoorieHoose · 22/04/2015 07:25

A bank holiday for St Andrews day? Not in my version of Scotland unfortunately

fulltothebrim · 22/04/2015 07:30

St Andrews day is not a bank holiday in Scotland.

ChillieJeanie · 22/04/2015 07:31

There was an act passed in 2007 StoorieHoose, but I see it doesn't actually have to be given as a day off, just to relief of payments on that day. Seems a bit pointless to have made it one, really.

MrsTrentReznor · 22/04/2015 07:36

I shall be parading with my cub pack and several hundred other scouts to renew our promises.
Then hopefully I'll go to the pub and watch some mummers and Morris dancers.
I'm not even remotely religious, but I adore the tradition of it.
Our traditions and festivals are being eroded. We need to keep them alive and I don't give a crap if the loopy left don't like it.

BeaufortBelle · 22/04/2015 07:41

I think it's fab. Why shouldn't the English have what the Irish, Welsh and Scots have? Anyone who doesn't like it, doesn't have to participate.

For all those who don't believe in the Christianity element I vote we lobby to start a Merlin Day and then we can counteract evil and this dastardly spirituality with real, actual magic. And at least we know Merlin was proper "Old English" with none of this foreign stuff involved :).

Goes to look up pre 7th Century Anglo Saxon name again and starts arranging party for tomorrow Grin.

My DH regards himself as English and would regard himself as something Shire if he could. I, however, am European, and still disagree wholeheartedly with the OP.

NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 22/04/2015 07:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fulltothebrim · 22/04/2015 07:46

I think Nationalism can be a great thing, but England haven't played very nicely on the world stage in the past few hundred of years.

They have tended to overstep themselves.

HellKitty · 22/04/2015 07:55

We as a nation should be proud and celebrate our being able to queue, make fairy cakes (never cupcakes), our ability to swear and our lack of being able to complain in a restaurant without apologising. What other nation apologises to tables if we bump into them? We need to stand tall and proud, without showing off, and put on a jolly good show.

It's only one day a year.

whatlifestylechoice · 22/04/2015 07:56

I'm Irish, but I don't celebrate St. Patrick's day on principle. The principle being that I'm not catholic and don't appreciate what Catholics did in my country. Also,patriotism is ridiculous. Do I win the fun sponge award of the thread?

Bunbaker · 22/04/2015 08:01

"England haven't played very nicely on the world stage in the past few hundred of years."

It doesn't make it right, but neither have France, Germany, Italy, Spain etc (been helping DD with her history revision).

Why is being patriotic ridiculous whatlife?

Flugdrachen · 22/04/2015 08:06

I have never known anything be 'done' for St George's day - I'm 40 & lived in a white/monocultural/conservative area attending a stiflingly traditional school etc & we never celebrated/noted etc St Georges day. Now we live in opposite type of area & again it is a total non-event ... the dc's school/nursery aren't doing anything; the first I heard of it was this thread. I can't think of any St George's themed activities or events I have ever participated in or been aware of.

PMSL at St George's day cards though Grin they would appeal to dh's family .... they'd send a card to celebrate having a new car/new dog/getting back from holiday in one piece/having a big shit etc

So errr ... ynbu - you've free to dislike or disapprove of anything I guess - but does it really matter?

RufusTheReindeer · 22/04/2015 08:19

Our village has a very little "fair" (about 10 stalls, half car boot style, the other half top selling plastic tat)

St George arrives on his horse in front of a small parade (never seen this) and there are a few medieval activities. The bowls club and library do "special events"

It's very, very low key. We show our faces and nip to the pub for lunch

It's quite a recent event only about 5 years old I'd say and held on a Saturday

It's also obligatory for the scouting grouo to attend a march somewhere near us on the Sunday

Schools never did anything when my children were there

Blink and you could miss the whole event locally

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 22/04/2015 08:30

I personally wish more was done for St Georges day - we need to remove the misguided perception that it's a "racist" day & claim it back for ourselves.

I really resent the fact that more is made of St Patricks day in England than is of St Georges & would love to see that change...

DrankSangriaInThePark · 22/04/2015 08:33

Quinto, the day I bought my swearword book was also the day I first went out with the Love Of My Life aka The One That Got Away so I always celebrate 23rd April Grin

Shipwrecked- yes that's it, he is also the patron of Genoa (the Genoan flag is the same) because of the Crusades thing. (I think they all stopped off for a pizza or something on their way down south Wink)

I wonder if this is a sort of reverse AIBU/GF/politico thread. OP slags off English traditions, MNers rush to defend them, kippers all over (all 14 of them) say "ooooh MN are no longer lefty liberal wishy-washy middle class Boden wearers but full of patriots who kiss Nigel's toady face every night before they go to bed.

worldgonecrazy · 22/04/2015 08:45

My nearest big city did have a lovely St. George's Day parade a few years ago. There were people from all cultures joining in and celebrating. The "pride of Britain" skinhead types were vastly outnumbered by those who wanted to celebrate the best of English culture. It felt good to see something that felt like a true united national celebration rather than something that had been hijacked by extreme right-wingers. I've not been since then but I hope that it continues in the same vein.

SunnyBaudelaire · 22/04/2015 08:49

I bet you do not 'object' to St Patrick, St David or St Andrew in quite the same way.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 22/04/2015 08:55

I too find it sad that some people think the English shouldn’t celebrate their nationality and that it is racist or xenophobic to do so.

In England we make more of an event of St Patrick’s day and Burns Night than St George’s day FFS. St David’s and St Andrew’s Days not so much, but still. Why are we not ‘allowed’ to celebrate our national day in a way that pretty much every other nation on earth is. No-one looks down on the Scots/Irish/Welsh/Spanish/French/US people for celebrating their national days do they?

I think the OP was hoping that everyone would agree with her in a ‘look how inclusive and non-racist we all are’ manner.

Agree with the poster who said that more people should take part in St George’s day to make it more ‘normal’ and take it back from the far right. And I definitely want to be in Barcelona for Dia de San Jordi at least once – sounds brilliant and in Spain they really know how to celebrate the many national and local festivals.

SunnyBaudelaire · 22/04/2015 08:59

I have honestly never lived anywhere in my life where we even noticed St George's day, as a child or adult, that is London, Home Counties, Brighton....
So not sure what your beef is, OP.

whatlifestylechoice · 22/04/2015 09:01

Bunbaker As Samuel Johnson said, patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Grin

Personally, I think it's ridiculous to be proud of something that is an accident of birth. My country, like all countries has both good and bad points, laws, government, people etc, but patriotism would have me overlook the bad points in favour of the good, and make me loyal to an ideal that has no basis in reality. I like many things about my country, and I appreciate the history and traditions of the people that were born there, but I don't think people that were born there are special or somewhat superior to people that were not born there.

TLDR: I prefer to think rationally; patriotism leaves no room for rational thinking.

dons flame-proof suit

mountainofdreams · 22/04/2015 09:17

I don't know where OP lives but personally I have never seen any London celebration of St Georges day.
I'm Irish and I find St Patricks day here is almost a bigger celebration than at home.
The English people I do know have always maintained they prefer St Patricks day to Georges.
If you don't like the celebration stay home or come to London! Smile

yeah · 22/04/2015 09:21

St Andrew's Day is complete non-event in Scotland. As a PP said, there was some kind of push to make it into something a few years ago, but nobody was much interested. There's a bit of fuss about St Patrick's Day, but that seems to be mostly about getting people into pubs.

I'm meh about Saints in general. I suggest doing away with them and bringing back the dragons.

We have Burns' Night in Scotland - the very idea of it is bloody marvellous - national celebration of a poet. England could rejoice in a day dedicated to Shakespeare. Ireland and Wales aren't exactly short of writers and poets, so they could do likewise.

Hakluyt · 22/04/2015 09:32

"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."

I get ever more incensed by the sections of society( mainly the loony right) who seem it a day to paint their ghastly sweaty faces , wrap themselves in flags and talk about English values and berate immigrants

emotionsecho · 22/04/2015 09:36

Steady on there yeah after all it was only by pure accident that the people you mention were born where they were and had the circumstances to flourish as they did and according to what it is ridiculous to be proud of or celebrate something that is an accident of birth.

FishCanFly · 22/04/2015 10:18

So you're not English, but you live in England and you don't like English people celebrating. How nice