
Is St George's Day today and can the church move the Saint's national holiday from the 23rd April?
SAINT George's Day is traditionally celebrated on the same day each year, but there is a major change for the 2025 version of the holiday.
The Church of England has announced that the celebration has been moved to avoid it clashing with another holiday.
2
Morris dancing is a popular way of marking St George's Day
Credit: Getty Images
2
Celebrations are held across the country for St George's Day
Credit: Getty Images
A moveable date
In 2025, however, the date has been moved to April 28.
This is because St George's Day cannot fall within a week before or after Easter.
Read More on UK news
It is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.
This means it took place on April 20 in 2025, which led the Church of England to move the date of St George's Day.
The Church of England prioritises Easter as the most significant celebration in the Christian calendar.
The story of St George
The
Most read in The Sun
However, most modern understandings of the story are based in the 11th and 12th Century versions.
The story is focused on a village in
GMB guest in furious row with Ed Balls and The Apprentice's Tom Skinner as they lock horns over St George's Day
In the tale, villagers are forced to feed their sheep to a greedy dragon and, when they run out of livestock, decide to offer up their princess to the creature.
St George slays the dragon in the story, rescuing the princess from the monster.
England adopted St George as its patron saint, as his story is centred on bravery and honour.
Although it is not a bank holiday, England has celebrated St George's Day as a national holiday since the 15th Century.
England's St George's Day traditions
England has a wide variety of St George's Day celebrations, each relating to the country's long history.
Morris dancing is a particularly popular tradition, as groups gather to showcase their region's own style of dance.
Medieval and renaissance fairs are held across the country, showcasing English culture throughout time.
Some events, such as the one in Trafalgar Square, even have huge models of the dragon.
Ahead of the 2025 celebrations, the Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for the day to be an opportunity for unity across the country.
He said: 'Yet now, we can see people trying to sow division in our communities.
"People taking the red and white of our flag with them as they throw bricks at businesses.
'That is what happened last year in the riots.
"And we must fight it.
"Because it was the aftermath of the riots that showed what it means to be English.
'It marked the coming together of a country.
"People who got together the morning after, all across Britain.
"With shovels, brooms, and brushes, to clean up their communities.
'Rebuilding walls, repairing damage.
"It's in that spirit that we reclaim our flag for our country.
"For English decency, honour and fairness.
'Wrench it out of the hands of those who want to divide this nation.
"And reclaim it for good.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
9 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Millions sit China's high-stakes university entrance exam
Millions of high school students across China are sitting their first day of the highly competitive university entrance exam, known as the "gaokao". Nationwide, 13.35 million students have registered for the multi-subject series this year, according to the country's education ministry, down from last year's record-high of 13.42 million test takers. Outside the gates of a central Beijing secondary school, a proud parent who gave her name as Chen said "12 years of hard work have finally led to this moment" - as she waved a fan in front of her daughter while the student reviewed her notes one last time before the test. "We know our kids have endured so much hardship," Chen told AFP, adding that she was not nervous. "I'm actually quite excited. I think my child is excellent, and I'm sure she will get the best score," she said. China's gaokao requires students to use all their knowledge acquired to this point, testing them on subjects including Chinese, English, mathematics, science and humanities. The exam results are critical for gaining admission to university - and determining whether they will attend a prestigious or more modest institution. While teachers and staff offered students their support, holding up signs of encouragement, some test takers, dressed in school uniforms, appeared panicked, including a girl with tears in her eyes. "There's no need for us parents to add pressure. The children are already under a lot of it," said a woman named Wang, whose son was taking the exams. Like many mothers, she wore a traditional Chinese qipao in hopes of bringing good luck. "I hope my son achieves immediate success and gets his name on the (list of high-scoring candidates)," Wang said with a smile. Higher education has expanded rapidly in China in recent decades as an economic boom pushed up living standards - as well as parents' expectations for their children's careers. But the job market for young graduates remains daunting. As of April, 15.8% of people aged 16 to 24 living in urban areas were unemployed, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Due to this pressure, many Chinese students prepare for the gaokao from a young age, often with extra lessons after the regular school day. 'Safe gaokao' Every year education authorities are on guard against cheating and disruptions during the exam. This week, China's Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for a "safe gaokao", stressing the importance of a rigorous campaign against cheating. Areas around exam centres are closely guarded by police, with road lanes closed to traffic and several cities banning motorists from honking their horns so as not to disrupt the concentration of students. In some schools, facial recognition is even used to prevent fraud. While the university admission rate for gaokao test takers has exceeded 80-90% in recent years, many students disappointed with their results choose to repeat the exam. As there is no age limit for the test, some have become notorious for attempting the exam dozens of times, either after failing it or not getting into their top-choice university. One teacher at the Beijing school where parents saw off their children estimated that only about ten of the approximately 600 final-year students there would earn a place at one of the capital's top universities. Jiang, a final-year high school student who only gave one name, said he dreamt of attending a Beijing university, and was remaining calm shortly before his Chinese exam. "Even though the pressure is intense, it's actually quite fair," he told AFP. "I feel like all the preparations that needed to be made have been made, so there's really no point in being nervous now, right?


RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Calls for new public holiday in honour of St Colmcille
Donegal County Council is set to ask the Government to establish a new public holiday in honour of Saint Colmcille - also known as St Columba - the only Irish patron saint without a public holiday. Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh, whose motion calling for the public holiday was accepted at the council's latest meeting told RTÉ News there are two elements to the proposal. "Ireland is two days behind the European average of 12 public holidays per year. "St Colmcille is Ireland's third patron saint along with St Patrick and St Brigid, but he isn't recognised with a public holiday. We're looking to even that up," he said. Today marks St Colmcille feast day. Cllr Kavanagh has suggested two options as there is already a bank holiday in June. "The June Bank Holiday could be renamed in honour of St Colmcille (Columba), but that wouldn't solve the problem of Ireland having less public holidays than the rest of Europe. "Alternatively, we could go for a new public holiday on the first Monday in July. We don't have a public holiday in July in the Republic of Ireland," he said. Cllr Kavanagh added: "St Colmcille's story is a great story. I think it would be an excellent bank holiday. We're hoping the Government will look at the proposal in a positive way." He also said there would be all-Ireland, cross-border and international dimensions to any recognition, given St Colmcille's story. It is believed that St Colmcille was born in Gartán, Co Donegal in 521AD and established over 50 Christian sites throughout Ireland. In the English language, Colmcille translates as 'Dove of the Church'. He is regarded as one the three patrons saint of Ireland alongside St Patrick and St Brigid. There are many sites in the north west and in the eastern region associated with St Colmcille including Gleann Cholm Cille, Toraigh, Kells and Swords. The influential Irish monk is known the patron saint of Derry - as Gaeilge - Doire Cholmcille, meaning 'oakwood of Colmcille'. He was a significant historical figure in the spreading of Christianity in Britain. One of his most important monasteries was in Iona, off the coast of Scotland. Much history was written and recorded in his monasteries. One of Ireland's most famous books, the Book of Kells, written in Latin is believed to have been crafted by monks in the Columban monastery on Iona. Colmcille died in Iona on 9 June, 597. His legacy, as well as devotion to the saint, has endured to modern times. Many schools, churches and GAA clubs nationwide are named in his honour. Ireland has ten public holidays per year, and St Brigid's Day was the most recent addition to the list in 2023. The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (OWTA). The OWTA Act is under the policy remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the power to introduce an additional public holiday is provided for within this legislation.


Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Ciara Kelly: As a veteran of Magaluf 2018 and Ios 2021, here are the three dangers I'll be warning my child about before this year's Leaving Cert holiday
We're in the eye of the storm in Leaving Cert terms. The hideous build up ended last Wednesday with English paper 1, and by Friday we'd hit a kind of rhythm that's actually preferable to the pre-exam limbo. In fact, for many this stress fest will be over in a few days. Which brings me to the real issue: the Leaving Cert is bad enough, but nothing compares to the dread of the Leaving Cert holiday. I'm a veteran at this stage, having survived Magaluf 2018 and Ios 2021. I should get a medal, or at the very least a wet T-shirt. Zante is our next roll of the 6th year holiday dice — and I hate it. I genuinely wonder why all of us parents pay for these holidays, when everyone I know is terrified. And not without good reason. Yes, the vast majority of kids will come home relatively unscathed, but sadly there's always tragic exceptions to that rule. So how can you minimise risks?