You’d think the patron saint of England would get a bit more respect. I mean, St Patrick’s Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They practically shut down the pubs (and then reopen them with extra vigour). But St George? He gets a mention on the news, maybe a few flags outside a Wetherspoons, and then it’s back to spreadsheets.
It feels like that friend who always organises the group trip but then never gets a thank you card. St George slayed a dragon—or so the story goes—and what does he get? A quiet Tuesday and a lot of people saying, “Oh yeah, I forgot that was today.” Rude.
The English Approach: A Masterclass in Half-Heartedness
We Brits are famously awkward about patriotism. We don’t do the over-the-top flag-waving like our American cousins do on the Fourth of July. Instead, we celebrate our national day with a polite nod and a cup of tea. St George’s Day is basically the English equivalent of a quiet nod in a queue—respectful, but utterly forgettable.
Imagine if we actually made it a bank holiday. The whole country would have to agree on what to do. Do we have a massive roast dinner? An afternoon of Morris dancing? A collective moan about the weather? It would be chaos. We’d probably spend the day arguing about the best way to spend the day off, which is the most English thing ever.
Why isn't St George's Day a bank holiday? | The US Sun
So, the absence of a bank holiday is almost deliberately British. It’s a low-key, no-fuss event. You get to wear a red rose, maybe buy a little England flag, and then still go to work. It’s the perfect metaphor for our stiff upper lip: “Yes, it’s my national day, but I’m not making a fuss—I’ve got a spreadsheet to finish.”
