St George’s Day has long been a holiday to celebrate all that is English – barbecues in the pouring rain, street parties (again, usually in the pouring rain) and parades through many major towns and cities from Carlisle to Lands End. However, with multiculturalism being the buzz word for Britain in 2012, will commercial properties fear to display national pride by flying the St George’s cross?
England’s patron saint was born in Syria Palestinia and became a Roman soldier before his death in 303AD venerated him as a Christian martyr. His symbol, a red cross on a white background, became a symbol of war after the use of the design on the uniforms of English soldiers during the crusades.
It is this war-like association that has some commercial property owners struggling to decide whether or not to display the national flag on their business premises today. Fears that their premises could be targeted by members of the public who disagree with the saint’s day – or they themselves could be seen as supporters of the right-wing English Defence League, who frequently use the symbol on their marches – have led to many businesses simply ignoring the holiday. However, many displayed decorations on St Patrick’s Day, which is still a recognised and popular holiday in Ireland.
This is not the first year that St George’s Day has been surrounded by controversy, as parades in several areas of the country have been cancelled after concerns were raised with local councils. In 2008, Bradford’s event had to be cancelled following police concerns over health and safety. The route the parade was due to take was deemed unsafe, as it passed through two of the central areas of the 2001 Bradford race riots and there were “fears that someone may have used it to cause violence.”
At the time, the Reverend Tony Toobey, the chairman of governors at one of the primary schools expecting to take part in the festivities, said the event was supposed to deter violence in the future rather than stir up racial tensions in the present.
He added “We wanted the route to include where some of the riots had taken place to educate our young people.
“The day seems to have been taken away from us because of fears of thugs. The council and police say something could go ahead on July 1, but it won’t be a St George’s Day celebration.”
This does not appear to be an isolated incident, either, as Sandwell Council withdrew funding from the planned parade run by the Stone Cross St George’s Day Association the following year.
Unfortunately, commercial property owners and tenants must make the choice whether or not to display symbols of English patriotism today – it appears there is no easy solution to keep everyone in society happy. However, as many other cultures celebrate the patron saint’s life, and mark the day of his death annually, perhaps it is time for England’s commercial properties to reinstate this endangered tradition.
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