When is St George’s Day?

England flags have been flying at town halls today, and politicians from all sides of the chamber wished each other a happy St George’s Day at Prime Minister’s Questions.

But many media outlets have reported that today is not actually St George’s Day, and that this year it’s being celebrated next Monday (28 April) instead. And there’s been plenty of debate online too, with some claiming today is St George’s Day and others insisting that Monday is the correct date.

St George, an early Christian martyr, was believed to have died on or around 23 April in the third century AD in Lydda, what is now Lod, Israel, and became England’s patron saint from the 14th century. 

Consequently St George’s Day has traditionally been marked by celebrations and ‘feast days’ on 23 April for hundreds of years, and is celebrated locally and nationally with various events. 

However, Christian churches sometimes observe St George’s Day on different days to match their calendar around Easter, when saints’ days aren’t marked—and this year at least, this appears to have caused some confusion and debate.

The Church of England issued a note this morning clarifying that this year it would celebrate St George’s Day on Monday 28 April instead.

A Church of England spokesman told us this was due to the timing of Easter this year, which moves around to follow the lunar cycle.

“In common with the Roman Catholic Church and many other churches, the Church of England’s Common Worship Calendar does not keep saints’ days during Holy Week (the week before Easter) or in Easter Week”, they said.

“As the Rules to Order the Christian Year indicate: ‘When St George’s Day or St Mark’s Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. If both fall in this period, St George’s Day is transferred to the Monday and St Mark’s Day to the Tuesday.’”

They added: “Of course, many secular celebrations may still occur on 23 April, but this is to clarify the way in which the Church’s calendar works.”

The Catholic Church in England is also marking St George’s Day on 28 April, according to the liturgical calendar.

The churches have similarly moved St George’s Day celebrations away from 23 April in previous years, for example in 2019. 

Confusion about the timing of the celebrations for St George this year appears to have extended to at least one church social media account, with Exeter Cathedral posting on X (formerly Twitter) that “today is Saint George’s Day”, before subsequently deleting the post. 

A search for ‘St George’s Day’ on Google brings up a snippet stating that it will take place on 28 April, although at the time of writing the search engine’s ‘Doodle’ marks St George’s Day on its traditional date. 

St George’s Day public celebrations are actually taking place across a range of dates in April around the country. An event in London’s Trafalgar Square has already taken place on Monday (21 April), while others, such as Manchester’s parade, will go ahead on Sunday (27 April). 

The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a St George’s Day reception in Downing Street on Tuesday (22 April), and posted on X on 23 April wishing people a “Happy St. George’s Day”.

When we asked English Heritage when St George’s Day should be celebrated, it told us: “St George is venerated as a martyr by the Church of England and Catholic church, as well as other Christian traditions.

“There’s a long history of secular celebrations on St George’s Day. Their modern manifestations are enjoyed by people of all faiths and none.”