The Irish celebrate like crazy on St Patrick's Day but us English have virtually forgotten about St George's Day. It's not surprising really as there is nothing much known about him or even if he ever actually existed. Yet somehow he has become the Patron Saint of many countries and organisations. Including Scouting - and I had photos of St Georges Day Parade on yesterdays post.
The picture below comes from my book 'A Calendar of Saints' by James Bentley. It's a painting by Raffaello Sanzio (1483 -1520) and is in the Louvre.
For centuries the day was celebrated with feasting and jousting and mumming plays on the theme of St George and the Dragon . The traditions carry on in a few places.
Where the dragon story comes from is another mystery...........
This is something written by John Aubrey in the 1680's ( an English writer and philosopher)
"To save a mayd, St George the dragon slew,
A Pretty tale if all is told true,
Most say there are no dragons;
and this say'd there was no George;
Pray God there was a mayd."
G.K Chesterton (1874-1936) wrote.......
St George he was for England,
And, before he killed the dragon
He drank a pint of English Ale
Out of an English flagon.
This is the traditional day for picking dandelions to make Dandelion Wine (but only if the sun is shining so the flowers are fully open)
Pick 2 quarts of flower heads, (about 1lb in weight) discarding as much of the green as possible.
Place in a food safe bucket or non metal bowl and then pour a gallon of boiling water over the flower heads and leave to steep for 2 days AND NO MORE. On the 3rd day pour everything into a big pan, add the peel of 4 oranges and boil for 10 minutes. Add 3lb of sugar and stir until dissolved. When cool add the prepared wine yeast and nutrient starter. Strain through muslin into a demi-john. Fit an air lock. Rack into bottles when clear and it should be ready to drink at Christmas.
I made Dandelion wine once......never again!....It was deadly!
There are certainly plenty of Dandelions about this year
and they are really useful as an early food source for bees which is probably a better use for them.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Acton Church book sale this Saturday, if you are interested. Huge and cheaper than the NSPCA one but selection of books probably not as broad.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the info. Think I'm doing something more local - depending on the weather.
DeleteWell my granddaughter was up early Sunday morning baking cakes for the scouts to sell. They went up to our local landmark to sell them. Probably it is only the scouts that remember the day.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know if they still do the District Parade for Scouts and Cubs.
DeleteBring back St Edmund, I say!
ReplyDeleteYes - Patron Saint of Suffolk!
DeleteWe made dandelion wine when we had willing slaves to pick the flowers. The wine was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSomething must have gone very wrong with mine - I never was the best of wine makers anyway - probably the reason I don't drink any alcohol at all now!
DeleteI am sure many now living in England would like to see all trace of St George eradicated because of his wars with "the infidel". Not so long ago, I was thinking about the moves to remove certain statues, which are mostly of people such as Cecil Rhodes, Churchill, Drake and Nelson, who, however they did it, helped to give Britain the high quality of life it still enjoys today. Everything we see around us owes something to these people. Ironically, it is why so many would like to move here. I thought it would make an interesting blog post, I still might do it, and whether or not St George actually existed, he would be on my list.
ReplyDeleteSt Edmund for England!
DeleteI would not want to bury him.
DeleteSt. Patrick's Day is popular in the US. There is a parade in Boston, Massachusetts. Many people and restaurants (Irish or not) serve Corned Beef and Cabbage. St. George's Day is new to me. I wonder why it died out.
ReplyDeleteSt Patrick's Day is celebrated everywhere that Irish folk have settled but St George isn't so well known
DeleteMy husband is 75 today-the Yorkshireman’s son born on St George’s Day. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI always remember St George's day as it was my Mum's Birthday.
ReplyDeleteI used to make country wines and found most of them to be very potent indeed, I'm much more likely to make infused oil for homemade balms and salves from dandelion heads these days.
Alison in Wales x
I think the dandelions we have came over with English settlers. Anyone know for sure?
ReplyDeleteWe always used to go out with our children on St. George's day to pick dandelions for wine. It was delicious but as you warned "do not leave them seeping beyond two days". The smell is terrible.
ReplyDeleteI like the G K Chesterton one! A pint of English Ale out of an English flagon, sounds very English. If you need any dandelions I can send you a few sacks full. We seem to have cornered the market this year, which wasn't so much of a problem when the grandchildren had six guinea pigs to enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteThink I'll stick to feeding the bees too!
ReplyDeleteDandelion jelly is delicious!
ReplyDeleteSt George did exist, the dragon story is a legend, but not the importance of St George. He Geṓrgios of Alyssa, was a Greek Christian born in the Roman Empire city of Constantinople, he served in Emperor Diocletian’s army. The emperor ordered the army to start killing Christians, George refused & defended the rights of Christians. He helped spread Christianity. He was martyred, beheaded. This is why he is the patron saint of many Christian countries.
ReplyDeleteIt’s Lydda not Alissa
DeleteSeveral medieval ballads firmly state that St George was a crusader from Coventry!
ReplyDelete