Today is St George’s Day – when the knight of the tale slayed a dragon to save a princess.
Every year the people of England are encouraged to celebrate St George but, unlike other Saints’ Days, we don’t really have a clear idea how.
To help your children take part we have created our top 5 list for celebrating St George’s Day – we would love to hear your ideas too.
1/ Eat Dragon Pie: we have Pancake Day and turkey at Christmas, so why not Dragon Pie for St George’s Day. Okay, this might take some creativity to explain at tea time, but when it’s served with carrots for fiery orange dragon’s breath the dish comes alive!
2/ Darts: this pub game was originally created by English archers using arrow heads, so why not hang a board outside and encourage your little ones to try their aim. Rather than focusing on the traditional rules, why not set up some battlements for your archers to hide behind, and challenge them to hit the board from their hidden positions. Substitute with Velcro darts for the very young.
3/ Morris Dancing: don bells, handkerchiefs and sticks to try your hand at England’s national dance.
4/ England’s greatest playwright – Shakespeare – was born and died on St George’s Day, so why not learn and perform a speech from one of his works? How about this one, from Henry V:
“I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'”
5/ Head out with the family to explore our green a pleasant land. England is jam packed with wonderful places to visit, with landscapes that are beautiful, at times remote, and filled with fascinating wildlife and flora; beaches that are among the best in Europe and sometimes the world; and amazing towns that range from historic to modern, quaint to kitsch.
Read more about our England holiday deals.
We would love to hear about how you celebrated St George’s Day – tell us in our comments section.
Latest: Visit England has just announced the winners of its 101 Things to do in England guide, where members of the public were asked to recommend their favourite experiences in England. Follow the link for lots of inspirational ideas!