Gazette comment (From Gazette Series)

Gazette comment

WHAT does England mean to you? When asked what you associate with different countries there is normally a stereotypical answer.

But how many people would say St George is the essence of England?

The patron saint of England is most famously known as the brave slayer of the dragon and saviour of the maiden.

But we do not see the sort of celebrations on April 23 to rival those in Ireland for St Patrick's Day.

We report this week of a patriotic resident being offended by comment by a council officer that she "does not care about English day".

The resident naturally is proud of his heritage and believes the English have a lot to celebrate.

But who should be responsible for organising these celebrations? Should it be the responsibility of our local authorities to hold events to mark the occasion?

In an age where our culture is more diverse that it has ever been, people are asking whether we should celebrate our heritage in a different way - encompassing all races and religions.

After all historians have discovered that in fact St George was not actually English.

In fact he is thought to have been an early Christian martyr from the area of modern-day Turkey, who was executed in Palestine in the third century.

Whose fault is it that St George's Day seems to have fallen by the wayside?