It rolls round every year, and you see a bit more red and white, but you don't get a day off work.

We celebrate the patron saint of England each April 23, but often it is criticised for not having the same verve as St Patrick's Day in Ireland (or Birmingham for that matter).

Today is the day we celebrate the life of St George. Some Birmingham schools have a non-uniform day, there's a parade here and there.

But if you work, you are at work. If you go to school, get there for 9am.

Schoolchildren are often taught the tale of him slaying a dragon, but what is the truth behind his story?

Here is all you need to know courtesy of KentLive :

Why isn't St George's Day a bank holiday?

St George's Day was once celebrated as widely as Christmas.

In 1415, it was declared a national feast day and holiday in England.

It wasn't until the end of the 18th century that celebrations waned, after England united with Scotland in 1707.

Now people go to work as normal, although in recent years there has been a push, involving campaigns and petitions, to make the day a public holiday in England.

Campaigners say it's not fair, as Ireland gets a bank holiday for St Patrick's Day and Scotland gets a day off for St Andrew's Day.

Who was St George?

According to legend, St George was a Roman soldier born around 280AD in what is now modern-day Turkey.

Born to a wealthy Christian noble family, he became a soldier and joined the retinue of Emperor Diocletian.

However, in 303, as part of a crackdown on the growing influence of the Christian community, Diocletian ordered the expulsion of all Christian soldiers in the army with the Roman soldiers being forced to make the traditional pagan sacrifice. In front of his fellow soldiers, St George refused, declaring he was a Christian and denouncing the edict in front of his fellow soldiers.

How did St George become England's patron saint?

Jo poole from Stourbridge at The Saint Georges day celebrations in Victoria and Chamberlain Square.
Jo poole from Stourbridge at The Saint Georges day celebrations in Victoria and Chamberlain Square.

Just after the came to the throne in 1327, King Edward III made St George the country's official saint. It wasn't essential that a patron saint originated from the country, but they were chosen as the embodiments of the characteristics the country wanted to project to the outside world.

Following his father's disastrous reign, Edward III wanted to rebuild the strength of the English monarchy with St George being an important part of his strategy to make England one of the most powerful and warlike nations in Europe.

Did St George really slay a dragon?

The story in which St George slays a dragon originally appeared in medieval Eastern Orthodox Church stories which were brought back to Europe by the Crusaders in the 10th and 11th centuries.

The story goes that a town in Libya had a small lake inhabited by a plague-infected dragon living in it which was gradually killing the townspeople who had started feeding it two sheep a day to appease it.

However, when their sheep supply ran out, the king came up with a lottery system to feed it local children. On the day his own daughter was chosen but luckily for her, St George happened to ride past as she was being prepared for sacrifice.

According to the legend, St George offered to slay the dragon if the people converted to Christianity in return. This they all did, and the king later built a church where the dragon died.

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Is St George the patron saint of any other countries?

St George is also the patron saint of Portugal, Venice, Beirut, Malta, Ethiopia, Georgia, the Palestinian terrorities, Serbia and Lithuania.