It all began way back in the mists of time, when a knight killed a dragon and won a princess. These days, St George's Day is the occasion for widely differing traditions - in Estonia, it's a celebration of agriculture, in the Balkans it means singing and dancing and in England, the patriotic mayor of London laments the British lack of enthusiasm for their patron saint. Meanwhile, in Catalonia, St George's Day is a wonderful celebration of love...

Photo: Carles Ahicart

In Catalonia, everybody enjoys St George's Day

Once upon a time, a brave knight named George travelled for many months by land and sea, until he came across a city in Libya which had been ravaged for a long time by a dragon. The dragon demanded a daily tribute of maidens and the king’s daughter was chosen to be next. The king was willing to give everything, including the hand of his daughter, to the one who overcame the monster and rescued the princess. The knight George killed the dragon with his sword and saved the beautiful princess. The grateful citizens gave up their idols and accepted Christianity. The legend says that the knight married the princess and they lived happily ever after.

Although there are many variants of the legend, there is one conventional interpretation. The maiden symbolises the Church and the dragon symbolise the Devil or Evil. The good knight George is actually St George and this tale is just one of many about him. However, we can't know for sure who the real St George was because the stories about him have changed a lot over time. Even this one about him and the dragon isn't quite original: the story of Andromeda and Perseus is similar. Andromeda, an Ethiopian princess, had been chained to a rock on the sea shore as a sacrifice to a sea monster which had been sent by the god Poseidon to ravage the land. She was rescued by the hero Perseus who battled with and defeated the monster.

St George's Day is celebrated on the 23rd of April (Julian calendar) or 6th of May (Gregorian calendar) as that is the day of his martyrdom, when he was decapitated because he refused to conform to Diocletian's edict and deny his religion. Today St George is the patron saint of several countries and towns and his memory is celebrated all over Europe.

In England, St George's Day is the national holiday as St George is the patron of England. By tradition, the 23rd of April is the day when a red rose should be worn in the button hole. As the national flower of England, the rose is a symbol of patriotic pride. However, England does not celebrate St George's Day with fireworks and parades. For most people, it is just an ordinary working day.

Recently, there have been some attempts by English patriots to give St George's Day the more prominent place which they think it deserves. For instance, last year the Mayor of London Boris Johnson said he wanted to reclaim the St George's flag and encourage others to do the same. He reminded Londoners that the flag isn't the property of extremists and that the patron saint symbolises something positive and unifying for England. On that occasion he also said: "St George's Day has been ignored in London for far too long. We have much to be proud of in this great country, England has given so much to the world, politically, socially and artistically. St George's Day is a time to celebrate the very best of everything English."

Photo: Carles Ahicart

St George's Day is also World Book Day

St George's Day has been celebrated in Catalonia since 1436. This day coincides with the Day of the Book and the Rose, which commemorates the death of the two famous writers Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. Since 1996, the 23rd of April has been World Book Day. On this day in Catalonia, the man offers a red rose to his beloved (according to the legend, a rose grew from the spot where the dragon's blood was spilt, as a symbol of love and friendship) and in return, she gives him a book (in a memory of Cervantes). Books are sold in the street and many writers take advantage of this day to promote their latest work. Julia, 19, from Catalonia, says that St George's Day is important as the day of lovers. But she points out that there are other ways of celebration in some villages in Catalonia. There, people dress up as Christians and Moors and parade through the village, commemorating the time in the Middle Ages when the Muslims were driven out of Spain.

St George's Day traditions in Estonia are connected with the awakening of nature and the arrival of spring. So, their customs and ancient beliefs related to this day are also connected to planting crops and finding food. For example, the cultivation of fields is supposed to start on St George’s Day and the cattle should be let out for the first time in the year because of the tradition that St George's Day forbids wolves from killing domestic animals from that day onwards. These days, Tallinn's Old Town is filled with treats at the annual St George's Day Fair. Handicrafts and farm goods are sold at the market, there's street entertainment and visitors can learn about the work of the different craftsmen.

In Serbia, the 6th of May marks the death of St George, but there are also a lot of non-Christian customs connected with this day. These customs and beliefs existed in this area long before Christianity came, and some of them have survived until today. The main custom is plaiting wreaths of flowers and branches and attaching them above windows or doors. The old belief is that this brings health and wealth to the house. It is the tradition to spend the day in the countryside, close to the river. People even come early in the morning to wait for sunrise. The same day is celebrating by Muslims and Roma in the Balkans. They celebrate the arrival of spring and flowers; dancing and music are an important part of this celebration. The name of the festival is Ederlezi (this is also the title of one of the most popular Roma folksongs), which is a variant of a Turkish word combining the names of the two Muslim prophets Hızır and Ilyas.

The whole story began late in the 3rd century AD, when a brave knight saved a princess and killed a dragon, and has continued until now in every Christian country in a lot of different ways. When the dragon is killed, good triumphs over evil. That's why this story is so comforting, and that's how St George became a hero and patron saint who found his place in the traditions of so many countries.