St George’s Day with Two Fat Blokes

For those who don’t know, St George is the Patron Saint of England, as well as Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia, and Catalonia.

St George is most familiar with the story ‘George and The Dragon’, where George tames and slays a dragon that is demanding human sacrifice. St George’s day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of his death all the way back in 303AD.

The Story

St. George was born in what would now be known as Turkey. He followed his father’s footsteps and became a solider in the Roman army, eventually becoming a personal guard to Emperor Diocletian.

George’s story began in the town of Silene. Silene was captured by a dragon and to appease the dragon, the locals were offering human sacrifice to the dragon every day. While St George was visiting the town, a princess was chosen to be sacrificed. George took matters into his own hands and killed the dragon, saving the people of Silene. To express their gratitude, the locals converted to Christianity.

George’s story came to an end when the emperor ordered the persecution of Christians, which St George refused to follow. Following this refusal, he was tortured and executed in 303 A.D. in Palestine, where he is now buried.

Because of his story, St. George is largely associated with Christianity and is now celebrated every April 23^rd.

Celebrating

Red rose

Traditionally, there a few things you can do to celebrate St. George’s day in the UK. A red rose is symbolic in England and has resonance with the story. It is said that after saving the princess, St. George handed her a red rose. Now, a red rose is used to mark many occasions, including St. George’s day.

Fly the flag

Flying an English flag is another way people celebrate St. George’s day. Alternatively, have it hanging in a window or make it pride of place in your home bar.

Buy a bar sign

Now, we’re not going to say this is a traditional way to celebrate St. George’s day, but it is one of the better ways if we say so…

At Two Fat Blokes HQ, we’ve been busy crafting, creating, and manufacturing some new bar signs to celebrate St George’s day! As well as some stained-glass windows and a chalkboard to chalk up how many too many you’ve had. The Full list is below if you’re keen to name your new home bar in time for the summer.

• The Churchill Inn
  
• George & The Dragon 
  
• The Lancaster
  
• The Spitfire
  
• The Dukes Head 
  
• The Old Bull
  
• The Rose Inn – chalkboard
  
• The Sailors Arms Inn
  
• The Vulcan
  
• The Victory
  
• The Rose Inn – stained glass window

Our collection is celebrating all things British and are the perfect way to christen your garden or home bar this summer! If you already have a bar sign, why not install one of our frosted vinyl windows for some extra character. Our stained-glass window vinyl adds something unique to your home bar that we’re sure all your friends will comment on.

We don’t want to leave anyone out and have covered all bases, creating an English, Irish, Welsh, and beer themed window vinyl.

You can browse the collection here to get ready for St. George’s day! Happy celebrating to all who take part.