St George's Day

Today is St George's Day, England's national day. St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.

St George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil.

So today Gil dressed up as St George for school and will face a dragon while trying to save the princess girls in his class. He thinks he is THE man!

This is what greeted the boys and girls as they arrived at school.

Here is Gil's headmaster, Magoo, dressed for the day.

Gil and Constantine, a friend from his class.

We can't wait for Gil to return home this afternoon to tell us about his adventures. What a fun experience for him!