St. George's Day

St. George's Day Parade in Stone Cross ( West Bromwich ), one of the largest in England with up to 15,000 participants (2014)

The St. George's or George's (short Georgi ) is the memorial day of St. George , an early Christian martyr from Cappadocia . It is usually celebrated on April 23rd , in some regions on April 24th , as a spring festival. April 23rd is the third latest Easter date , but also because of the context of defeating the “dragon winter”, St. George's Day is an important lottery day . For those Orthodox churches that use the Julian calendar , St. George's Day currently falls on May 6 of the Gregorian calendar . Following an old Catalan tradition, St. George's Day (April 23) has also been World Book Day since 1995 .

history

Saint George with the dragon ( Albrecht Dürer , 1508)

The veneration of George began in the Middle East (especially Lydda -Diospolis) as well as in early Christian Egypt and Ethiopia. It was most widespread in Cyprus , Cappadocia (now Turkey) and Georgia . From here the cult later reached Russia and the Balkans , where it is one of the most important holidays for the Roma .

In the west Georgskirchen are no later than the 6th century a. a. detectable in Mainz , Paris and Naples. In many places, St. George's Day commemorates the conquest of the dragon, which became a symbol of paganism . The cult of St. George reached a climax in Germany when Bishop Hatto of Mainz brought the alleged head of the martyr to the Lake Constance island of Reichenau in 896 ( St. Georg Collegiate Church in Oberzell ). But since the historical verifiability of some of the stories is doubted, the veneration of St. George is in the long run in the end.

Patronage and customs

There is hardly any reliable data on the life of the knightly martyr. The saint, one of the 14 helpers in need, is the patron saint of many places and areas, including England , Catalonia and Georgia , the city of Genoa , the city of Barcelona , the city of Freiburg im Breisgau and the diocese of Limburg . St. George's Day is celebrated everywhere there. The US state of Georgia is also named after the saint.

George has been the patron saint of England since Richard the Lionheart made him his personal patron at the Oxford Synod in 1222. In England alone over 160 churches were consecrated to him. On St. George's Day, the Garter Chapter is read out in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle .

Fair on St. George's Day
( d David Teniers. J. , 1642/1643)

Georg is also the church - or namesake of countless churches, monasteries and schools. This is why St. George's Day is popular for church fairs and other celebrations.

The servants were in Burgenland , where the day has special significance, change at the St. George their employer, and interest rates were at most deferred until George's Day. This is likely to be related to viticulture, in most other areas of the Eastern Alps this applies to Candlemas (February 2nd).

St. George's Day, White Sunday and May 1st were the three free nights for single people on Lechrain , during which all sorts of mischief were done.

In some places old George rites are being revived, e.g. B. the guard elevators in Bad Mergentheim , where the rifle guilds from 1500 to 1695 and the Teutonic Order are commemorated. Other customs are some of the Georgs bells .

Georgiritt in Ampflwang in the Hausruckwald (2015)

The dragon slayer is especially the patron saint of horses and riders. "St. George's Day, which is the horse's day of honor": Customs around St. George's Day include, among other things, the Georgiritt and horseback processions (which are being revived in many places). In many places in Bavaria and Austria , horses are blessed and prayers for their farmers and riders. The traditional horse rides are usually on the following Sunday or on Easter Monday . Only in St. Georg near Julbach is the ride on Leonhard's day held.

Furthermore, he is the patron saint of the worldwide educational movement of the boy scouts , after the saint is named the German scouts St. George . Many scout groups celebrate their "special day" with an area game .

With the southern Slavs

In Southeastern Europe , St. George's Day is mostly celebrated among the southern Slavs . It probably has pre-Christian, common Slavic origins and is celebrated as a typical spring festival where campfires are lit similar to the Walpurgis Night .

St. George's Day celebrations at the Bulgarian Orthodox Kremikowzi Monastery near Sofia (May 6, 2011).

According to the Julian calendar used by the Orthodox churches , it falls on May 6, about 40 days after the vernal equinox . In the orthodox Serb is the St. George ( Serb Ђурђевдан djurdjevdan ; dʑuːrdʑeʋdaːn ) a Slava -Fest. The Orthodox Macedonians and Bulgarians also celebrate St. George's Day ( Macedonian Ѓурѓовден Gjurgjuvden ; Bulgarian Гергьовден ).

Among the Catholic Croats , St. George's Day (in Croatian Jurjevo ) is mainly celebrated in the Turopolje and Gornja Stubica regions . In Turopolje, according to Slavic tradition, the five most beautiful girls are dressed as dodola (rain girls) in branches and sent through the village to sing a rainbow song.

St. George's Day ( Jurjevanje in Slovenian ) is celebrated in the Bela krajina region among the Catholic Slovenes . Here a young man is completely covered with green branches and accompanied by singers and musicians who are supposed to drive away all forces that oppose spring. In Petschnitzen / Pečnica in the Austrian-Slovenian border area, the “Georgijagen” (Slov. “Šent Jurja jahat”) will be celebrated on April 22nd.

In addition, St. George's Day is celebrated by Muslims in the former Yugoslavia , especially the Gorans who have converted to Islam in southern Kosovo , especially in Glloboqicë / Globočica near Dragash / Dragaš .

With the Roma

St. George's Day ( Romani Herdelezi or Ederlezi , from the Turkish Hıdırellez ) is celebrated by the Roma in the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey as one of their most important holidays, which marks the border between winter and summer. This applies equally to the Christian as well as the Muslim Roma. According to tradition, the Roma name for the festival goes back to a meeting of the patron saint Hızır (protector of plants and the poor, see Al-Chidr ) with the prophet Elijah ( İlyas, protector of waters and animals) in the 9th century BC . BC back - the two names combined make up the term.

St. George's Day is celebrated differently depending on the region. In the past, the festival was often preceded by a fasting period of several weeks . The festivities for the festival usually begin on the evening of May 5th with a cleaning and dinner together. The houses are decorated with flowers and flowering branches. Baths with flowers are taken and hands and walls of the house are washed with holy water. On May 6th itself, the slaughter and preparation of a sheep plays a central role, with part of the roast being given to friends and relatives. As the highlight of the festivities, all Roma in a village or town meet in a central square, where they organize a large festival with music and dance accompaniment, especially with brass bands and Tapan -zurla ensembles. The Roma folk song Ederlezi celebrates this festival.

Superstitious Roma light four old towels on each corner of the house to keep snakes out for the whole year. The festival is imposing in Emir Kusturica's film Zeit der Gigeuner . It also appears in the novel Derviš i smrt ( The Dervish and Death ) by Mehmed Meša Selimović , where it is assessed by the pious Muslim protagonist as a relapse into pagan bad habits.

Lot day, weather and other farmer rules

The weather on St. George's Day has always had a special meaning. It is a lottery day for numerous farmer rules, especially for the post-winter season. In the Heimatbuch zum Medieval Roßberg (Baden) it is written about St. Georg: "The virgin whom he [the knight] freed from the power of the monster, according to the legend, suggests ancient mythical ideas related to the numerous spring customs".

A group of sayings relates to mid-spring , the first main growing season. The other is about a late onset of winter . This meteorological singularity (regularly occurring weather deviation) is - for Central Europe - for the 25.-27. April is statistically significant, usually an advance of polar cold air , as it can then be repeated again in mid-May ( ice saints ). There is also April 25th ( St. Mark's Day ) as a lottery day.

Several sayings connect St. George's Day with the Lost Days to other singularities, which is why a year is assumed that is normal: The long-term forecasts usually promise a good harvest on a cold, wet St. George's Day, but bad in other weather.

As usual with contradicting rules, the different geographic origins should play a significant role; with different mesoclimate .

Weather rules related to the end of the post-winter:

"George's Day [Jüri] in spring is the enemy of an angry winter." (Estonia)
"On the goodness of St. George, all trees are in bloom."
"Snow for Candlemas (February 2nd), rain for St. George's Day" (Estonia) - connection with midwinter .
"If the roofs are free of snow on Matthias Day (February 24th), the ground is bare on St. George's Day." (Estonia). - Connection with late winter .
"If there is snow on the roof on Fastenmarientag (March 23rd), there will be snowdrifts on the fence on Georgstag." (Estonia). - Connection with the March winter .
"Georgi brings green shoes." (In the past, children had to do without their winter shoes from this day on.)
"If the [common pond] frog screams in front of Georgi, cold occurs soon after Georgi, which, usually immediately after Georgi, lasts as many days as the frog screamed in front of Georgi." (Bavarian, around 1840).

To the cold snap and the following warmth of late spring :

“Georg comes ridden on a white horse according to old customs.” (“Schimmel” = the last snowflakes of spring).
"Georg and Markus (April 25th) without any consolation, very often frighten us with frost."
Ripe on the Annunciation (March 23) or St. George's Day should bring warm months.
"If George comes on a white horse, then a good spring will come from heaven." - And vice versa:
"If the Georgi is warm and nice, you will still see rough weather." - Or:
"If it is light and warm on Georgi, there is still a weather that God has mercy." - But:
"Georg with warmth, Nikolaus (May 9th) with food". (Russia).
"If it rains on Georgi Day, the rain will last a long time." (Main-Rhine area). - Or:
"If there was a thunderstorm at Georgstach, the cold will certainly follow." (Northern Germany?)

Rules for sowing and growing: Of all April days, St. George's Day is the most important for agriculture and livestock. Throughout southern Germany generally applies sowing or setting plants in April as prematurely. When it comes to vegetable seeds , they say: "Build me in April, take me when I want - Build me in May, take me the same." The same thing is said in Bohemia and Egerland about planting potatoes. But:

"St. George's horse, that kicks the oats in the earth."

In general, the fields may no longer be entered in Austria after St. George's Day .

For winter grain :

"On St. George's Day the grain should stretch so that the crow can hide inside." Or: "It indicates a good harvest when the crow can hide in the grain at George." - Or:
"When the rye seeds turn green at Georgi, you eat fresh bread at Jakobi (July 25th)."

Long-term forecasts:

If there are more thunderstorms , this is taken as an indication of a cool summer (Main-Rhine area).
"If Georgi wants to show himself with rain, the figs spoil" (Italian: " Aqua de San Giorgi, carestia de fich ' "; fig harvest there around June / July).
"If there is a sea of flowers at St. George , the baskets will be empty at Matthäi (September 21)." (Main-Rhine area). - And vice versa:
"If there are piles of snow on the fence on St. George's Day, the trees will have leaves on St. Michael's Day (29 September)." (Estonia).
"If the swallows come before St. George's Day, they leave before St. Michael 's Day (29 September)." (Estonia).
"When the sun shines on Georgi, many apples are ripe."
"What the vines do up to Georgi will not stay with them until Gallus (October 16)." (Main-Rhine area). - And:
"Blind vines to Georgi - give full grapes later."
Something similar is said of grain on the Rhine and in Silesia .

Church and state holiday

St. George's Day falls on April 23 (or 24) of the Gregorian calendar for the following churches:

Evangelical Church in Germany (Remembrance Day in the Evangelical Name Calendar )

Anglican Fellowship (Remembrance Day in Common Worship)

Roman Catholic Church , here St. George's Day is a non-mandatory day of remembrance on April 23, with the following exceptions:
- Solemnity on April 24th in the Białystok diocese

Armenian Apostolic Church

Syrian Church of the East

For those Orthodox churches that use the Julian calendar , April 23, St. George's Day, currently falls on May 6 (of the Gregorian calendar).

In Bulgaria , May 6th is a public holiday and at the same time “ Day of the Bulgarian Army ”. For example, the Orthodox churches in Greece and Romania celebrate the memory of George on April 23 of the Orthodox calendar . If St. George's Day falls in the week before Eastern Easter Sunday , then the day of remembrance shifts to Easter Monday.

In Georgia , St. George's Day ( Georgian გიორგობის დღე ) on November 23rd is a public holiday .

Catholic	Evangelical	Anglican	Orthodox (except Georgia and Bulgaria)	Orthodox (Bulgaria)	Georgian
April 23	April 23	April 23	April 23	May 6th	November 23
Not required day of remembrance in the general Roman calendar	Remembrance day in the Evangelical Name Calendar of the Evangelical Church in Germany	Remembrance Day in some Anglican churches * If the holiday falls between Palm Sunday and the Sunday after Easter, Georgi Day in England and Wales is shifted to the following Monday.	Or on May 6th. ** If the holiday falls in the week before Eastern Easter Sunday , Georgi Day is shifted to Eastern Easter Monday.	public holiday , Bulgarian Army Day	National holiday
* E.g. in the Church of England, but not in the Episcopal Church in the USA
** The old calendars celebrate in the years 1900 to 2099 on May 6th, April 23rd of the old calendar .

Medical

The centenary calendar recommends bloodletting or purge (therapeutic fasting ) for April , but this should be ended before Easter (23/24 April at the latest). For sports grounds stated in Bohemia that all the water to 24 April (St. George) is poisonous and one should not bathe until then. A rule in Lithuania (Pillkall), not to eat anything from animals (including birds and fish) on St. George's Day, is more of a superstition . The advice is based on the power of spring herbs to put valerian roots dug and dried in April in cupboards to protect against moths.

Web links

Commons : St. George's Day - collection of images, videos and audio files

Patron St. George and customs. ( Memento from April 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ). In: martinus.at.
Djurdjevdan (Herdelezi). On: Rombase, database on Roma culture and history on the website of the University of Graz.

Individual evidence

↑ 15,000 on streets for St George's Day. April 21, 2014, accessed June 10, 2017 .

↑ ^a ^b St. George. ( Memento from September 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). In: VierzehnHeiligen.de.

↑ “Šent Jurja jahat” or “Georgijagen” in Petschnitzen (1975). Film on mediathek.at (accessed on March 8, 2020).

↑ Garth Cartwright: Balkan blues and brass bands. On the way with Gypsy musicians in Serbia, Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria. Hannibal, Höfen 2008, pp. 12, 292.

↑ Albert Hiß: Kaltbrunn-Wittichen then and now. Chronicle of a Black Forest community and its monastery. Kaltbrunn municipal administration, 1966.

↑ St. George's Church on the Roßberg. In: hinterwaelder-rind.de. Retrieved April 23, 2013.

↑ ^a ^b Horst Malberg: Peasant rules. From a meteorological point of view. 4th ext. Edition. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 978-3-540-00673-2 ; on p. 16.

↑ Axel Bojanowski : Polar air over Germany: One week of winter. Spiegel Online , April 23, 2016 - this event with snow chaos up to April 27 was particularly “punctual” and characteristic.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Wolfgang Mieder: Sprichwörterbuch. A. Nature. In various sections; on folklore.ee (September 1, 2009, accessed on April 24, 2016; content. ) - There are several other sayings for St. George's Day, Estonian Jüri .

^ JK von Train ( arr .): The experienced and reliable weather prophet. Schorner'sche Buchhandlung, Straubing 1844, entry frog commoner (Rana esculenta), point a., P. 44 ( Google Book, full view ).

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d The weather on St. George's Day. ( Memento of September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). In: main-rheiner.de. April 22, 2006.

↑ George the Martyr. In: Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints . Retrieved April 23, 2015.

[1] 15,000 on streets for St George's Day. April 21, 2014, accessed June 10, 2017 .

[vierzehnheiligen-2] St. George. ( Memento from September 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). In: VierzehnHeiligen.de.

[3] “Šent Jurja jahat” or “Georgijagen” in Petschnitzen (1975). Film on mediathek.at (accessed on March 8, 2020).

[4] Garth Cartwright: Balkan blues and brass bands. On the way with Gypsy musicians in Serbia, Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria. Hannibal, Höfen 2008, pp. 12, 292.

[5] Albert Hiß: Kaltbrunn-Wittichen then and now. Chronicle of a Black Forest community and its monastery. Kaltbrunn municipal administration, 1966.

[6] St. George's Church on the Roßberg. In: hinterwaelder-rind.de. Retrieved April 23, 2013.

[Malberg_2003-7] Horst Malberg: Peasant rules. From a meteorological point of view. 4th ext. Edition. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 978-3-540-00673-2 ; on p. 16.

[8] Axel Bojanowski : Polar air over Germany: One week of winter. Spiegel Online , April 23, 2016 - this event with snow chaos up to April 27 was particularly “punctual” and characteristic.

[folklore.ee-9] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Wolfgang Mieder: Sprichwörterbuch. A. Nature. In various sections; on folklore.ee (September 1, 2009, accessed on April 24, 2016; content. ) - There are several other sayings for St. George's Day, Estonian Jüri .