ST. GEORGE'S DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 133, 16 April 1864, Page 5

ST. GEORGE'S DAY.

TVhii.k almost every people in Europep;iy some respect to tlieir patron saint', allowing him a day of festival in every year, which is celebrated i'u some move or less national manner, the Kni;Hshman is perfectly careless of his, and only values the remembrance of him at the current rate of such of our coins as carry the representation of him, in his encounter with the dragon, ou fhe reverse. The Irishman, wherever he goes, carries with him liis love for the shamrock, nnd amongst high nnd low St. Patrick's day is kept, and while lie religiously consumes his whiskey, and swings his shilleiah in honour of his patron saint, lie is proud to show and maintain his nationality. The Scotchman is the most devoted of patriots, always maintaining everything national as the best to be found. St. Andrew is to be remembered wherever :i Scotchman may be. and Wis particular day is generally a day of meeting and rejoicing together in honour of the old country by the sons of the thistle.

Englishmen alone take no thought of their patron. St. George, growling that they cannot be bothered with saint*, that they have their business to look after, and don't want to lose any time in remembrances of things they never knew anything about; and they look upon his affair with the dragon as exceedingly mythical, not to use less polite language. We should, however, pay so much respect to our country and keep up some of the old remembrances and days of rejoicing, and if we do not care about these, we ought, if we are true Englishmen, to have some predisposition to a good dinner. AVe keep up certain days, and in some parts of England. St. George's day is as great a day as any : and if proper steps were taken to introduce the same custom in Auckland, we. really think that St. George's day here would be as warmly celebrated by Englishmen as is St. Andrew's by the Scottish members of our population, or St. Patrick's by Irishmen. Why should we not give a dinner to honour our old institutions, and to make ourselves merry wherewithal, once in a year —to have an opportunity of drinking health to old England's Queen, and Prosperity to the old Country, and success always to the old Banner of St. George, that has carried itself so proudly in the eyes of the world. W"e should not be too commonplace —we find that it is quite possible to be merry and wise. . The Scotch are not generally reputed to be the most dull people in the world, and yet they can spare time always to rejoice whenever there is an opportunity of celebrating any of Scotland's festivals. The Irish are quite as bright as ourselves, and what Irishman would pass by St. .Patrick's day uuhonoured ! J -M.inv Eimlishmen do not. even know that St. George's'day is the 23rd of April. It will soon be here, and the sooner we set to work and form a committee of management, the better. Now. why should we not make it a national day '? If others think it worth while to distinguish their nationality, why should not we do the same ? And as St. Andrew and St. Patrick have their festal days celebrated by a national dinner, why should not the sons of St. George, who are famous for their love of roast beef and fat ale. celebrate the day in like manner? "We dare say the seven patron saints of Christendom more than once put their legs together under the same mahogany, and if St. George was worthy to become an English saint, doubtless he proved himself a good trencherman. "What lie, doubtless did well, let some' of us try to do on the 23rd, this da\ r week.