London's Trafalgar Square gets festive for St. George's Day

Celebrations to mark St. Georges Day, the patron saint of England, returned to Trafalgar Square in London with a wide range of live music, entertainment and food. The origins of the day go back hundreds of years and it is celebrated in many countries where St George is the patron saint.

Celebrations to mark St. George's Day, the patron saint of England, returned to Trafalgar Square in London with a wide range of live music, entertainment and food. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions, Saturday was the first time that St. George's Day celebrations took place at the iconic square since 2019. The London Mayor hailed the event as a "brilliant festival of food, music and all things English". "London is the beating heart of England. Wonderful to see Londoners and visitors of all backgrounds out in Trafalgar Square again to celebrate St. George's Day together," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan. The family event, hosted by presenter Michelle Ackerley and entertainers Jones & Barnard, included a full programme of live music featuring string quartet Bowjangles, hoedown collective Cut A Shine, brass band Das Brass and folk headliner James Riley & the Rooftop Assembly. Alongside the main stage, there was walking entertainment from St. George with his Dragon, Divine stilt walkers and the Pearly Kings and Queens. There were also some family activities including The Knights Training School, the Storytorium, a dragon Selfie station, face painting, upcycled arts and crafts, and a games area, as well as a range of food stalls. Other parts of England also mark the day with festivities and street parties. The origins of the day go back hundreds of years and it is celebrated in many countries where St George is the patron saint. It is believed that St. George was born in an area which is now in Turkey and lived during the 3rd century. During his life he was said to have captured a dragon that was eating people in a city called Silene in Libya. He became a Roman soldier but he protested against how badly Rome treated Christian people and was put in prison and eventually executed. Now, England celebrates him as the county's patron saint on April 23 each year.

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