St George was a Palestinian ..

Never knew this.. so our patron saint and flag is actually Palestinian/Palestinian origin..

Amazing

Why St George is a Palestinian hero

By Yolande KnellBBC News

23 April 2014

 

As England celebrates the day of its patron saint, many Palestinians are gearing up for their own forthcoming celebrations of the figure they also regard as a hero.

 

A familiar flag flaps in the wind above a Palestinian church in the West Bank village of al-Khadr.

 

The red cross on a white background has been associated with Saint George since the time of the Crusades.

 

It is the national flag of England and is also used as an emblem by other countries and cities that have adopted him as their own patron saint.

 

However, Palestinians have particular reason to display the symbol and revere the early Christian martyr. For them he is a Palestinian hero who opposed the persecution of his fellow Christians in the Holy Land .

 

"We believe he was a great martyr for his faith who defended the Christian faith and values," says Greek Orthodox Archbishop Atallah

 

St George's flag flies above a Palestinian church

 

"By making sacrifices for his faith he was able to defeat evil. We take St George as a patron for people living here - and as he was born in historic Palestine, we pray to him to remember us and this holy land."

 

St George was a Palestinian soldier in the Roman Army during the Third Century AD, when the Emperor Diocletian was in power. It is said that he once lived in al-Khadr near Bethlehem, on land owned by his mother's family.

 

The saint is remembered for giving away his possessions and remaining true to his religion when he was imprisoned and tortured before he was finally executed.

 

There are many churches in occupied Palestine that bear the name of St George - at al-Khadr, Lydda and in the Galilee, for example.

 

A service is held for the saint at al-Khadr, bringing worshippers from the Bethlehem area and much further afield to light candles and say prayers. During the feast, special bread is baked that shows him in his typical pose as a dragon slayer.

 

Such images are also a permanent feature on many Palestinian Christian homes and public buildings. It is thought that the saint brings them protection.

 

"He's a native saint who has done many miracles. We respect him a lot," explains sculptor Akram Anastas.

 

"He's presented as a knight full of peace and grace, riding his horse and always fighting evil, which is symbolised by the dragon. We write underneath in Arabic 'God bless our house.'"

 

Anastas has worked on thousands of stone carvings of the saint during his career, selling them to Palestinian and international buyers.

 

"I like him very much. He's a good friend of mine and I've found him many times in my life. He's my guardian angel," he says.

 

Sculptor Akram Anastas has made thousands of stone carvings of St George

With its associations of courage, gallantry and honour, the Christian name, George, remains one of the most common occupied Palestinian

 

Other variants are Khadr (Arabic for "green one") and Jeries.

 

In a Bethlehem coffee shop known locally as "Abu George" [the father of George], I sit with members of the Thalgieh family, who are all called George.

 

"Maybe we have 10 people [named George] until now. Perhaps in the future we will reach 100," says George Elias Saba Thalgieh.

 

"Here in Bethlehem, it's not just our family. We all believe that St George will help us when we need him. If you have an accident the first thing you say is 'Ya Khadr' - it means we are calling for St George to help us.

 

"I love the name. Our grandfather is George, I am George so now my sons will name their sons George," adds the older man's nephew, George Nabil George Thalgieh, a well-known singer.

 

Image captionThe many Georges of the Talgieh family standing outside the "Abu George" coffee shop

Anticipating this year's St George's Day, the two generations join in a traditional verse.

 

"Oh, St George we pray at al-Khadr," go the lyrics. "We are the Christians with the candles in our hands."

 

There are a number of customs associated with the saint.

 

Sometimes the Greek Orthodox priest is asked to insert a key into the mouth of children with speech difficulties, turning it to "unlock" their tongues.

 

There is a ritual in which visitors put a chain around their neck, pass it over their body and kiss it three times. This is thought to ward off sickness.

 

Letters asking St George to solve family disputes are placed inside the glass that covers his icon.

 

People appealing to the saint for help also give sheep to the church so it can distribute meat to the poor.

 

Some Palestinian Muslims, especially those from al-Khadr, also follow the practices.

 

"It's not only the Christians that appreciate him, the Muslims also feel the power and the miracles of St George," says Father Ananias.

 

"When the church was built [in the Byzantine period] the neighbours were Christians. I don't know when the local people became Muslims, but under the Turkish [Ottomans] they protected the monastery and remained very close."

 

An old woman wearing a traditional embroidered dress and the Islamic veil tells me: "We all believe in al-Khadr, even my husband. I made a vow to light a candle in al-Khadr church."

 

Many Muslim scholars suggest that a servant of God mentioned in the Koran as an associate of Moses, refers to the figure of al-Khadr, who is identified with St George.

 

In the 1,700 years or so since his death, the saint has also become identified with other figures, some historical and some mythical.

 

The legend of him saving a maiden by killing a dragon probably originated in the Middle Ages.

 

Although many details of his life remain unclear, Palestinians see him as having set a powerful example for helping the needy and bravely standing up for one's beliefs.

 

It is this reputation that has also made him popular around the world.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27048219

You'll be telling us Santa Claus was German next.

You'll be telling us Santa Claus was German next.

Santa Klaus......dammit!

You'll be telling us Santa Claus was German next.

No he was a Boer

Santa Klaus......dammit!

Yes, but black nick used to keep my kids in line until Christmas when I lived in Germany. He was Santa.s sidekick and he informed on anyone not being good. No racism implied

No he was a Boer

No, that was Saanta Claaus.

Many years ago I once read that St George was a Roman soldier who was born in Turkey around 280 AD. I think you will find this a very popular view if you check it out.

Having visited many German churches while in their country I found this was their belief too as they would have many carvings and sculptures with information of St George in their churches.

it's all very murky. Nobody it seems has much of a clue who St George was.

whether he was from Turkey and/or lived in Palestine - which the Romans had renamed Syria/Palestina from what they had previously called it, Judea, because that was where the Jews came from. They renamed it Syria/Palestina to rub salt in the defeated Jews' wounds following the crushing of the massive failed Bar Kockba Jewish revolt against the foreign Roman Imperialists that took place between 135-138 AD. Calling it Palestine, was to deliberately rub salt, into the defeated Jews' wounds as it was to invoke memories of the Jews' already ancient enemy the Philistines.

the Arabs of course didn't turn up until they invaded the Levant and Jerusalem, the Jewish capital at the time of the Romans in the 7th century AD, when THEY, the Arabs, like the Romans before them, became the foreign imperialist occupiers of what the Jewish people had already, even 1300 years ago, called Yeretz Yishrael for 2,000 years.

there is a reason why Arabs, are called Arabs. They're from Arabia. Mecca, is about 1,400 km from Jerusalem.

there is also a reason why Jews, are called Jews. They're from Judea of which Jerusalem was, and is, the capital.

St George and Santa. Mmmm... Very topical, it must be October.

also we arent alone in having him as a patron saint lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronages_of_Saint_George

also we arent alone in having him as a patron saint lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronages_of_Saint_George

Is it Georgia that has the same anthem music as us too? I can remember a football between England and another country where the anthem were a bit confusing due to them being the same!

Is it Georgia that has the same anthem music as us too? I can remember a football between England and another country where the anthem were a bit confusing due to them being the same!

no, according to wiki they have Tavisupleba (Freedom)