Happy St George's Day.

[Son of a gun-ner]

Happy St George's Day to all my fellow Englanders

Even though I'm probably only 3/8th's or 7/16th's English

Half Welsh, and a 16th or an 8th Scottish you see

[jarndice]

I echo your patriotic sentiments my friend,
As to ones heritage if you go back far enough just about all of us are from somewhere else,
The English must be one of very few people who consider flying the flag to be not the done thing,
Try stopping an American or a Scot from flying their flag and you have the makings of a war but the English think it to be the sign of a fascist bigot instead of someone who loves their country

[Son of a gun-ner]

Hi Shaun. Well, as someone that was brought up as English, even by my Welsh mother, and that I should wave the Welsh flag for my higher Welsh make up, but I still wave the English flag as I am English by nurture, and to hell with what people think.

Yes, us British are basically European Mongrels, especially us English, but that was a long time ago, we've moved on now, and have culture and values to identify us.

[silversurfer1947]

I have always been intrigued that the patron Saint of England was a Cappadocian Greek, who served in the Praetorian Guard of a Roman Emperor. As for the reluctance to fly the flag, it is understandable as it has been misappropriated by right wing groups.

My ancestors came to this country from France to escape religious persecution in the 1680s. England gave them a home, so I consider myself to be English, though I do have some Welsh blood.

[General Jumbo01]

Whatever... For those in England it's a great day to celebrate all things English, like curries, chips and peas. Today vaccine trials start in the UK for the lurgy which, if successful, could see government approval for mass immunisation roll out by 2030* and social distancing lifted thereafter. No more excuses for avoiding the in-laws

* September if not government managed.

[Tiger6]

Flags have always been by their very nature symbols used to tell 'them' from 'us', which is why thugs are attracted to them as a means to legitimise their aggression towards others.

[Wildboar44]

Happy St George's Day to all my fellow Englanders :

And to you Sir

[adeh]

Happy St George's Day everyone.

It's a celebration that always seems to get overlooked but then making a big fuss about it would be a bit un-English.

[Black Knight]

Also Zeebrugge Raid day

[43rdRecceReg]

A recent DNA test showed by ancestry to be 100% North West European. In relative terms, Northwest Europe is actually a very small geographical entity (irrespective of national borders), and the original gene pool (which 60% of All North West Europeans share) is also actually quite small. Thus the indigenous British are not mongrel in any sense. Virtually all Europeans share some 'Celtic' ancestry, as well (not to mention 2-5 % Neanderthal ancestry. ). I'm also 8% Norwegian, but when you consider that nearly all Icelandic women had Irish female ancestry, (Vikings like Irish chicks ), you'll appreciate how closely related Europeans really are, despite evolved cultural and linguistic differences. Ivar the 'Boneless' may not have been as 'boneless' as his name would suggest
The Cross of St George is also used in Georgia, Russia, and elsewhere. It's fine, but as far as flags go, it's deeds and words that endow any emblem with respect and esteem.
Considering that England produced Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen, Edward Jenner (of Vaccine fame), Darwin, umpteen nobel prizewinners, The Beatles, 'Stones, and many of the World's inventions I'd say that the English (and I'm a Scot) have an awful lot to be proud of. Whether it's knuckle -draggers, or boffins waving their flag, I'd say they've a perfect right to be proud of it (and f**k the naysayers!!)