St George's Day

[Bordoy 0]

Have a good'un lads.

Celebrations of this occur in England (well, we are shot down if we do), Georgia, Portugal, and Catalonia.

Keep the traditions going!

[kevbaz 0]

shhh were not allowed to celebrate St Georges Day, we might offend the ethnic minorities (majorities these days) pubs arent even allowed late licences to celebrate, yet they were granted them for chinese new year and st patricks day.

We even get told to take down any English flags as we might offend people

[Bordoy 0]

Well i got my Forest match today, so you can be sure I'll be draped in the St George's Cross. We may get relegated today but is St George's Day.

[RED 0]

As KEVBAZ said, political correctness is getting rediculous, children in school are not allowed to even talk about St George's day If any of you English lads are around Guildford tonight we can go and get hammered!

RED

[DeLiltMon 0]

It is a bit silly, after all we (the Welsh) celebrate St David's day and everybody seems to celebrate St Patrick's day.

Out of interest why is it celebrated in Georgia, Portugal, and Catalonia?

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Well i got my Forest match today, so you can be sure I'll be draped in the St George's Cross. We may get relegated today but is St George's Day.

Good luck - I hope you win, it would be a shame to see Forest disappear Bloody disgusting what most of the team where doing 2 nights ago

Quote[/b] ]If any of you English lads are around Guildford tonight we can go and get hammered!/

What about the non-English in Guildford? Nah, I'm working until 10, and I also have my Final Year Project due next week, thanks for the invite though

St. George is also a nameday in Greece - it's not celebrated like it is here in England, but people called George still celebrate their nameday - which reminds me, I gotta call me dad

Anyway - Happy St. George's Day lads

[Gadger 0]

No St George celebrations in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale or Burnley - in fear of offending the ethnic minorities.

[ACF 0]

Out of interest why is it celebrated in Georgia, Portugal, and Catalonia?

Probably mainly because St. George was a foreigner.  If he'd have been English no-one would've wanted to associate with him.

Strange how us institutionally- and instinctively-racist English chose a foreign martyr as our Patron Saint.  You'd have thought that was a wonderful example of multicultural inclusivity, fair play and respect for those unfortunate enough not to be English; but try telling that to the Commission for Racial [in]Equality.

The historical St. George is supposed to have been a Roman general of middle-eastern extraction who converted to Christianity.  This upset the current emperor of the time who had him killed in a manner which escapes me now.  I would say Google it, but I notice that whilst they were covered in shamrocks and leprechauns on St. Paddy's Day, roses are conspicuously absent today (and that's the UK Google!).  I can't complain about the absence of St George's Cross because St Patrick's Cross never seems to be associated with St Patrick's Day, but I suppose that's our fault as well.

I just hope there are lots of blacked-up Morris dancers out celebrating our national (or should that be 'multi-regional' now?) day to throw the thought police into a quandary...

St. George for England!  (but he's the only bugger who is.)

[iNeo 0]

Political correctness... Parliament politicians here wanted to make the National Day "the Citizen Day" and celebrate those who acquire their Swedish citizenship on that day. (They failed.) "I think it's kind of racist to always ask for Swedish meat," said the president of an analysing institute of trade. State-subsidized "Center against racism" is currently claiming an ice creamed called Nogger (referring to nougat) is racist. An "anti-discrimination bureau" claims an ice creamed called "The 88" is Nazi (88 = HH = Heil Hitler). It was tradition to always sing the national anthem at the end of the school year; that's been stopped since "it might offend immigrants." In most schools before high-school you can't listen to patriotic music because patriotism "is racist." A couple of years ago the integration minister asked people to be careful when placing Advent lights in the windows because it might offend immigrants. Oh and any criticism of immigration is racist of course. Sadly I could go on forever.

[somebloke 0]

I say who bloody cares about offending people, it's our saint's day, so why can't we celebrate it?

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

I say who bloody cares about offending people, it's our saint's day, so why can't we celebrate it?

You can.

The immigrants are more than happy for you to celebrate it.

Middle aged white housewomen with nothing better to do think it might offend the immigrants though.

Does anyone else remember the interview where they interviewed this guy from the caribbean (I think) and asked whether he would feel offended with England and Britain flags on display - he replied that he felt offended that he (as an immigrant) was put up as a reason for the natives to not celebrate their nation. He was also offended that since he was in England, he wanted to see England flags! It was quite funny at the time

[da12thMonkey 1943]

I guess this is why the landlord gave everyone a pint on the house at midnight last night then...

Can't say I see anything special about St. Georges day or any of these patron Saints' days, I love this country enough as it is without needing one day a year to show it. But yea, this idea of offending people with flags and shit is idiotic, nobody's offended by it in reality; there's just middle-aged, middle-class tossers with jobs in the council or managing businesses who think everyone else in the country's a raging racist because they're too uneducated or too pompous to be enlightened about other cultures, so any attempt we make to define our nationality is racially provocative. Thank God they're all in positions of power that allow them to stop such evil eh? Right before they sit down to read the Dailly Mail

Nowadays, people around here are fine about flying the flags on St. George's day, the local papers promote it, even our council have the flag out, and we have a lot of immigrated people here. Though for a long time before that there was that fear of offending folk, hence I've never really been one to pay attention to when it's St. George's day.

Outside of Ireland (though maybe in Ireland too) St. Patrick's day has become an excuse for a piss-up, so you get the breweries sending pubs loads of posters and shite to encourage landlords to hold an event where people go and spend a load of money on booze... that goes to the breweries.

[Ares1978 0]

Political correctness... Parliament politicians here wanted to make the National Day "the Citizen Day" and celebrate those who acquire their Swedish citizenship on that day. (They failed.) "I think it's kind of racist to always ask for Swedish meat," said the president of an analysing institute of trade. State-subsidized "Center against racism" is currently claiming an ice creamed called Nogger (referring to nougat) is racist. An "anti-discrimination bureau" claims an ice creamed called "The 88" is Nazi (88 = HH = Heil Hitler). It was tradition to always sing the national anthem at the end of the school year; that's been stopped since "it might offend immigrants." In most schools before high-school you can't listen to patriotic music because patriotism "is racist." A couple of years ago the integration minister asked people to be careful when placing Advent lights in the windows because it might offend immigrants. Oh and any criticism of immigration is racist of course. Sadly I could go on forever.

Yeah I heard this on the radio the other day, they were more or less discussing the subject "Political Correctness in Sweden" and among other things, this case:

http://www.blt.se/print_a....nts=yes

It's getting worse here, too. Everything associated with nationality is to some extent linked to racism nowadays.

[Homefry 0]

I hate to take the role of the ignorant American.. but why exactly is this being considered racist by some..?

[walker 0]

I hate to take the role of the ignorant American.. but why exactly is this being considered racist by some..?

Hi Homefry

It is not.

They celibrated St Georges Day here in my hometown no problem.

What you have in the post is a few fantasys about it being against some suposed "political correctness" so they can wave a fake bloody stump.

Few people do celibrate St Geoges day here in England because:

A) Most English people are secular and do not even go to church.

B) Some racists try to hijack our English flag and St Geoges Day. This turned people against it as most English people hate Facism and Nationalism (it caused so many of us to die in WWII)

C) Being English is in essence about not being Jingoistic members of my family fought and died fighting against facism and that kind of thing in the last world war.

Hapily over the last few years there has been a steady movement to take back the English Flag in particular from the Nazis and remove there association with it.

Quote[/b] ]St George's events 'not enough'

By Louise Scrivens

BBC News

St Patrick's Day is a worldwide excuse for a party. On St David's Day most of Wales is garlanded in daffodils, and many Scots have haggis and ceilidhs to mark St Andrew's Day. So what do the English do for St George?

"Not enough" appears to be the consensus among the crowds who gathered in London to mark the occasion.

Despite an extensive programme of events organised for the capital, many visitors who spoke to BBC News felt the grey weather was no excuse for a "lack of enthusiasm" on England's saint's day.

Barry Edwick, a market stall owner on Portobello Road, Notting Hill, said he flew the England flag throughout the year.

"I think it's an outrage that St George's Day isn't a public holiday," he said.

When asked who St George was he said he was the "best dragon fighter ever".

"If you look up and down this market there is one other flag flying, there should be flags everywhere."

Public holiday

More than half a million people have signed a petition, delivered to Downing Street by cricket legend Ian Botham, calling for extra recognition for 23 April.

One pub had set up a "polling station" for people to sign a petition in support of the day becoming a public holiday.

Mark Poller, manager of The Elgin, said despite being an Australian he was fully behind more being done to mark the occasion.

"Until I started working here I had no idea who St George was," he said.

"I think it should be a holiday, we have a similar day in Australia and that is a holiday."

He said the company that owned the bar would set up polling stations in each of it's 5,000 pubs in England.

"The managers plan to take all the petitions to Tony Blair," he added.

Anti-racism

He said they would put more flags up in the pub but people tended to "walk off with them".

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone supported a full programme of events in London including a parade, march and a wreath-laying at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

An anti-racism event is being held in Trafalgar Square and members of The Royal Society of St George ensured Covent Garden was bedecked with English flags, bordering a full programme of family events including a Punch and Judy show, traditional English folk music and morris dancing.

Ted Newton from the society said events to mark the occasion had improved over the last five years but it still was not enough for such an important occasion.

"I'm shocked by the amount of people who have been told by their local council to remove flags, attitudes really have to change, we're talking about flying the English flag," he added.

Ted Leighton, a shop owner in Covent Garden, said he had been told by a passer-by he was a "Nazi" for displaying the English flag.

"I was so shocked and told him that I would never take the flag down, things got heated and he ended up calling the police.

"Nothing happened but I said I would rather go to prison than take down the flag of St George.

"It's the most important day of the year and I have to work, it should definitely be a holiday. Not enough is done to mark the day."

Teenagers James and Daniel turned out decked in the English flag to take part in the celebrations and said they were disappointed by the events.

Despite it being only midday when they spoke to BBC News the patriotic pair said they were considering going home.

"We've been to Covent Garden and not a lot is happening, so we may go to Trafalgar Square and then go home," said James.

"We didn't realise how quiet it was going to be."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4476533.stm

Football and other sports have been one the key places where the English flag has been returned to England.

I personaly think it is time we had an English Campaign to take back the English flag back from the odd few nazis and finaly push the last few of them back in the idiot box. I know those of my family who died fighting Facism in WWII would aprove.

The English flag is for all English people.

St Geoges Day is for all christians particularly those who attend the service in there local C of E Church or Minster or Cathedral because it is a Religious Calander Day.

We had a special celibration in my local Minster all were welcome.

It was great hearing the bell ringing out calling people to the service very English.

Here is a list of St Geoges Day events: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4476855.stm

Kind Regards Walker

[kevbaz 0]

the fact remains in alot of places over the country people were denied by their local councils to celebrate the day due to the "fear" it would upset the ethnic minorities, it may not be the case it actually dose, but the councils still stop it.

fantasy? hard fact more like.

[walker 0]

Hi KEVBAZ

Which church service did you go to?

I think if you join with me and others to take the English Flag and St Georges Day back from the Facists we will have far more celibrations of being truly English for Next Year.

I was thinking of getting some of my palls in the Army, Sports and Politics to do exactly that.

We could have real campaign to remind people what being English, the flag and St Georges Day is about.

We could have living VC winners, Sports people, musicians, TV and Film personalites, scientists there is a lot to be proud of in being English.

We have year to organise Taking back the English Flag and St Georges day from the last vestiges of nazism and make next years celibration a real celibration of being English.

Kind Regards Walker

[Bordoy 0]

We Won yesteday

Anyway I had my St George's Cross draped over me all the time i was out my house. Was a great day really.

About St George: The dragon depicted is actually the Roman Empire, as St George was an officer in the Roman Army and later the Emperor's bodyguard. The Roman Emperor ordered the persecution of all Christians in the Roman Empire. But because St George was a christian he spoke out against this. The roman emperor immediatly ordered the arrest of St George. He was tortured for 7 years and then beheaded on 23rd April 303.

Thats the more likely sroey but it is widely depicted in other ways.

[orson 0]

St who ?

Just another way to get more people drinking beer

@ Walker & co.... maybe best to try and get everyone proud to be Human first , then if we still give a toss we can look at creating inbred national pride again .

[caveman 0]

Well i`m not a racist, but i cant see why we would offend the Non British people the way i see it is simple u dont like it why did they choose england as a place to live. We didnt ask for them to cram the beleafs down our throats at school so why we have to learn about them i dont know.

I know alot of racist within ofp and i`m sure they would have voiced what i said alot stronger,

[da12thMonkey 1943]

I hate to take the role of the ignorant American.. but why exactly is this being considered racist by some..?

Nobody really considders any of it racist. There's just a worried minority that think other people think it is: They either think it's the uneducated working classes being intollerent of other cultures, the upper classes trying to hark back to the days of colonialism, and worry that the migrant population (with their supposed lack of understanding for our way of life ) sees it this way, and they fear some sort of consequent civil unrest that'll disrupt their comfy, Audi TT driving, dinner partying lifestyle.

You may notice that I'm not a fan of the British (upper, nowadays) middle-class. Though I'm hardly working 12 hours a day down't pit myself.

[Munk 0]

The Naval Personel at HMS Sultan wern't allowed to celebrate AFAIK because members of a Foriegn Navy are on base. This after we go out of our way to help the with thier religous beliefs (had to prepare and cook a whole pig for them once) is just a huge slap in the face.

I read in the paper Naval ships werent allowed to fly the flag and undertake usual ceremonies because a Turkish Navy ship was due to arrive that day (even though St. George was supposed to have been bron in Turkey). The World has really screwed up.

England has offically gone crazy

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

St. George was not born in Turkey, since the Turks didn't arrive until the 14th century.

[ACF 0]

walker, old son, you've proved the point - anyone who displays the English flag is obviously a 'Nazi'.  So, is the original red cross (now I'm waiting to be sued for trademark infringement) now a symbol of Nazism.  Sounds like prejudice to me.

Now, Nazis were fundamentally Austro-Germanic in origin - why would any self-respecting British/English Nationalist want to pretend to be a foreigner?  The logic doesn't add up.

How much offence are you causing by implying that you have to be Christian to be English?  The Anglo-Saxons weren't christian when they/we immigrated.  (Yes, don't forget that, like the Highland Scots and the Vikings, we're immigrants too.  The Normans don't count as they just ruled.)

And what is your definition of 'Englishness'?  Why is the VC 'English'?  Queen Victoria was of German descent and it's been awarded to men of many different ethnic backgrounds across the Empire and Commonwealth over the years.  Of course, there's probably a CRE-monitored quota that has to be achieved these days, but that's progress.  Bet Tony'll have the first female VC to justify his next war.

Historically, St George's Day has not been a 'big thing', the English are generally too apathetic for anything like that.  There 'must' be a conspiracy against St. George's Day, otherwise it would instantly be another excuse to flog greetings cards - they don't miss Eid, Hanukkah or St Valentine's.  And don't get me started on Americanised 'Mother's Day' and bloody trick-or-treating versus the traditional, English 'Mothering Sunday' and apple-bobbing!!

Back to the point: the difference now is that our 'sense of fair play' is being offended by things which do not appear to be fair.  They might be, but they are not seen as fair by a growing number of people.  The problem has been exacerbated by that old English fault of being 'slow to anger' - by the time we do get p'd off with something, the situation is far worse than it would have been before (I shall cite Nazi Germany as an example). I am now concerned that the very use of the word 'fair' is racist as dark-skinned people are clearly not 'fair' in another sense.

Isn't it unfair that Scottish and Welsh Nationalists aren't labelled as Nazis like British or English ones?  Of course, they are representing themselves as the 'oppressees' of the English 'oppressors' so that's OK.  I smile at the memory of the BNP getting those two seats in Burnley - there was a beautiful bit of hypocrisy on the subsequent 'Question Time'. A Plaid Cymru panellist harping on about the BNP being 'racist' when, by definition, a British nationalist would be representing not only the Welsh but the English, Scots and Ulstermen too.

The Welsh and Scots 'governments' (and where's the English one - no, not the UK government - anyone know?) have or are considering reviving/developing archaic languages as their national tongues.  Having seen a sign for a 'gwllf cwrs', it does make you wonder.  More seriously, I know a teacher who is English and lives in Wales who has to work in England because she cannot speak Welsh.  I have met a legally-bilingual Canadian who couldn't speak French but could, presumably, find work in French Canada that a Canadian Canadian can't; why create that unfairness here?  What happens when a non-UK English-speaking but non-Welsh-speaking applicant applies?  What would happen if England stopped printing official literature in multiple languages (reducing my tax and tree-usage) and expected everyone to speak English?

The worst aspect of all of this is that the traditional culture of 'free speech' is dead.  Certain subjects cannot be discussed or debated because entire arguments are diminished or negated by the argument or the arguer simply being labelled 'racist'; and that is a real crime these days.  I feel as though the burden of proof is on me, as an Englishman (predominantly) to constantly prove I'm not a racist; I should be listing all my non-English friends, especially the Jewish and dusky ones, to substantiate my case.  If this is a free country with free speech, surely I should have the right to dislike or disagree with whoever I like, irrespective of whether I'm right or wrong, whatever flavour they are.  If I confront, rather than ignore, them or hit them with a cricket bat, that's different.

A while back there a crime of 'racist murder' was seriously discussed to appease real or imagined concerns from ethnic minorities.  [sarcasm]Obviously, killing someone for a racist motive is way more evil than killing somebody for any other reason, or just no reason at all.[/sarcasm]  Or does life have a different value depending on the ethnicity of the killer?

It may all be middle-class-inspired crap but it is real.  The mindset of the 'worried minority', let's say the lawyers and accountants, is now enshrined in law because they're the ruling class these days.  Do we really want to get to the stage where it can't be laughed off?  What happened in India when they were given independence?  What happens if devolution descends into partition here - 'Bhowani Junction' in Shrewsbury?  Over-reaction?  Maybe, but once people would have laughed if it had been 'Bhowani Junction' in Sarajevo.

No apologies for using the Welsh and Scots as examples.  If things are that weird between those of the same colour and 1500 years-worth of shared history and genes, imagine how big a stick we give to 'more-different' people to hit us with.  We keep being told we're all equal; that's not how it looks.

My definition of racist (using a fairly PC example):

- I submit that is not racist to hold an opinion that 'Hitler was an Austrian bastard'.  He was clearly a bastard and clearly Austrian.

- However, I would consider it 'racist' to claim that Hitler was a bastard because he was an Austrian. And there will be an Austrian somewhere to disprove the rule and run you through the European Court of Human Rights.

- If you have knowledge or experience of Mr Hitler, it seems reasonable (though arguably extreme in this instance) human behaviour to pre-judge an Austrian as a potential bastard until you know otherwise.  i.e. prejudice is not an evil in itself. To not want to find out that a particular Austrian is a nice chap, or to ignore the fact that he is, and still think he's a bastard - that's somewhere between plain ignorance and racism.

Quote[/b] ]Mark Poller, manager of The Elgin, said despite being an Australian he was fully behind more being done to mark the occasion.

A digger running a Scottishly-named pub in England - how inclusive is that?

Finally (@walker), any cheap houses for sale where you are; it sounds such a nice place to live?  I wouldn't want to go back where my family come from even if I could afford it.  If I could afford it, I'd probably be considering emigration...

[stevevcb 3]

If I moved to (closes eyes and randomly point at a country on a map), uh, Bulgaria, would they stop celebration their national day (supposing they have one) and pull all the flags down just in case it offended me?

Of course not, don't be daft.

Would I be offended, being British, at seeing loads of Bulgarian flags everywhere?

No, not really.

What we need is some way to turn common sense into a drug so we can give all these politically correct idiots an overdose of it.