Focus Spring 2015
Page 51
Saint George is popularly identified with England and
English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actu-
ally he wasn’t English at all. Very little is known about the
man who became St George.
Quick Facts about St George
·
Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)
·
Lived in 3rd century
·
His parents were Christian
·
Became a Roman soldier
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Protested against Rome's persecution of Christians
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Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith
·
Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine
St. George is believed to have beenborn in Cappadocia (now
Eastern Turkey) in the yearA.D. 270. He was a Christian. At the
age of seventeen he joined theRoman army and soon became
renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but
never forgot his Christian faith. When the pagan Emperor Diocle-
tian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the
Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George's pleas fell on
deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to
make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him. St
George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally
beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23 April, 303.
In 1222, the Council of Oxford declared April 23 to be St
George’s Day and he replaced St Edmund the Martyr as Eng-
land’s patron saint in the 14th century. In 1415, April 23 was
made a national feast day.
Patron Saint
Eastern Orthodox depictions of Saint George slaying a dragon
often include the image of the young maiden who looks on from
a distance. The standard interpretation of the image is that the
dragon represents both Satan and the monster from his life
story. The young maiden is the wife of Diocletian, Alexandra.
St George is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon,
Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portu-
gal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Btegh-
rine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo,
Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow.
St George is also patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry
and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and
he helps those suffering from leprosy and plague.
St George and Easter Traditions
When is Easter?
Easter Day is always on a Sunday but the date varies unlike
Christmas, which is always on 25 December. Many years ago
Christians decided that Easter Day should always be on the
Sunday following the first full moon after the first day of Spring,
around 21 March. This means that Easter can be as early as 22
March or as late as 25 April.
In fact not only is Easter a movable feast but it happens on
different dates depending on where in the world you live. The
reason for this is that western churches such as in the UK, Amer-
ica and Australia, use the Gregorian calendar rather than the
Julian calendar used in eastern churches.
Why Easter Eggs?
When the shops are full of Easter eggs you know it will soon be
Easter. But Easter isn't just about chocolate eggs. Here you can
find out the facts about Easter and about its traditions.
The custom of giving eggs at Easter
celebrates new life. Christians remember
that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose
from the dead. This miracle showed that
life could win over death.
For Christians the egg is a symbol of Jesus' resurrection, as when
they are cracked open they stand for the empty tomb. No-one
actually knows when eggs were first used as symbols at festival
times but it was long before Jesus' time. Eggs were always
thought to be special because although they do not seem alive,
they have life within them especially at springtime when chicks
hatch out. Long ago people gave gifts of eggs carved from wood
or precious stones. The first sweet eggs that were eaten were
made in the last 100 years from sugar or marzipan. Since then
chocolate eggs have become popular and these are given on
Easter Sunday.
The Easter Bunny
Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclu-
sion of the hare into Easter customs appears to have originated
in Germany, where tales were told of an "Easter hare" who laid
eggs for children to find.
Easter Cards
Easter cards arrived in Victorian England, when a stationer added
a greeting to a drawing of a rabbit.
Ancient Spring Goddess
According to the mediaeval monk and philosopher the Venera-
ble Bede, Easter derives its name from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon
goddess of spring.
Easter Parades
After their baptisms, early Christians wore white robes all
through Easter week to indicate their new lives. Those who had
already been baptized wore new clothes instead to symbolize
their sharing a new life with Christ.