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St George's Day
A red cross on white for England, and in Catalonia red roses and books under red and yellow stripes.
The colours of St George's Day
St George is the patron saint of England, and his flag, a red cross on a white field, flies from churches and pubs on 23 April. Some people wear a red rose, England's flower. The day is quieter than the saints' days of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In Catalonia the same saint, Sant Jordi, has a much larger feast. Legend says a red rose grew from the blood of the dragon he killed, so on this day men give women a red rose and receive a book in return; today everyone gives both. The streets of Barcelona fill with rose stalls and bookstalls, hung with the senyera, the Catalan flag of four red stripes on gold.
#CE1124Cross redThe cross of St George.#FFFFFFField whiteThe white ground of the flag.#B0122BRose redThe red rose of England and of Sant Jordi.#FCDD09Senyera goldThe gold of the Catalan flag.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Saint George's Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.