So what are you doing on St George's Day?

Having lived in England for over 20 years it has always intrigued me why the 23rd April, St George's Day is not more widely recognised and celebrated.

Growing up in the Emerald Isle celebrating St Patrick's Day was a big thing, something to look forward to in the usually damp Spring weather. Being a public holiday, it provided a day out for big sporting occasions, parades and an opportunity to party. Whilst a rainy day is predictable most people managed to do something.

Therefore it came as a surprise to me why England doesn't do much on its patron saints day? The Welsh have their day for St David and whilst the Scots are most associated with Burns Night (where they address the haggis and make many whiskey toasts), I see that they too are pushing for a holiday on St Andrew's Day.

I notice that on the web that there are lots of campaigns clamouring for greater recognition and one that caught my eye was the London Assembly site where Mayor Boris Johnson is pushing out the boat (or is it the bus?) to highlight the day. Plans include celebrations at the Globe Theatre to mark Shakespeare's coincidental birthday but also a concert on 25th April to celebrate English music and culture. Looks interesting! There are other events on across England too which are worth checking out.

At the BBC we do a number of things but these tend to have a local focus. In England, people are becoming more aware of the background and history of St George and seem to be increasingly fond of displaying flags with the St George cross, referencing his famous dragon or wearing a red rose perhaps, whereas in Wales, St David's Day is marked by the wearing of leeks and daffodils. In Scotland, the day has become a focus for a debate about which flag will be flown from various official buildings - the Saltire or the Union Jack.

Given all this debate or rather the lack of it - what do you think? I look forward to hearing your comments and thoughts.

Chris