English Heritage launch St George's Day campaign

A campaign to encourage people to celebrate Saint George’s Day on 23 April has been launched by English Heritage. English national pride is being put to shame by that of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh, according to the organisation, and English Heritage is throwing down the gauntlet by challenging English people to celebrate their own patron saint.

St George’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year and to get the festivities underway English Heritage has commissioned one of the country’s leading poets, Brian Patten, to write a poem in St George’s honour.

This rousing ode, combined with a useful ‘How to…Celebrate St. George’s Day’ guide, is intended to kick-start the celebrations. English Heritage is also hosting a bonanza of St George events around the country over weekends either side of the 23rd, so there is no excuse to let this St George’s Day pass by unmarked.

Dr Tracy Borman, English Heritage’s Director of Learning said: “It is a travesty that St George’s Day seems to pass by with not so much as a whimper let alone a bang. The fact that more than three times as many people celebrate Guy Fawkes than St George’s Day, shows that there is real inertia when it comes to embracing our patron saint and the wonderful heritage that he represents.”

Continues Dr Borman: “St George’s qualities of honour and the tales of his triumphs are an inspiration to us all as reflected in Brian Patten’s poem. We really hope that by drawing attention to the positive attributes of St George people will throw off the shackles of apathy and celebrate England’s national day.”

Dr Borman’s sentiments are echoed by the well-known poet Brian Patten. He said: “I was delighted to be asked by English Heritage to write a poem about St George. There is no country more beautiful than England in April. I believe we should celebrate its landscape, and its flora and fauna through St George’s Day. I’ve taken liberties with the story of St George and the Dragon, but hope I can be forgiven for harnessing the dragon to the natural world.”

In addition to Brian Patten’s poem, the easy-to-use ‘How to…Celebrate St George’s Day’ guide is packed with family friendly tips on what to eat, drink and play this 23rd April. With festive recipes which acknowledge that chicken tikka massala is as much a part of our culture as cheese scones, and games which invite users to take part in ‘Dragon Chase’ or to ‘Conquer the dragon piñata’, the guide encourages users to dare to try something different this St George’s Day.

English Heritage is also hosting a wide range of family events across England to celebrate St George’s Day, including the St George’s Day Festival at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, the largest and longest running in the country.

To be inspired and find out more, log on to English-heritage.org.uk/stgeorgesday to download English Heritage’s guide and listen to an exclusive recording of Brian Patten reading aloud his poem.