As a highly venerated saint in both the Western and Eastern Christian churches, Saint George is connected with a large number of patronages throughout the world, and his iconography can be found on the flags and coats of arms of a number of cities, regions, and countries.Graham Seal, 2001n Encyclopedia of folk heroes page 85Robin Cormack, Icons, Harvard University Press, 2007 page 69
National saint Georgia
Saint George is a patron saint of Georgia, and it is claimed that he is the most venerated saint in that nation. An 18th-century Georgian geographer and historian Prince Vakhushti of Kartli wrote that there are 365 Orthodox churches in Georgia named after Saint George, according to the number of days in one year.Gabidzashvili, Enriko. 1991. Saint George: In Ancient Georgian Literature. Armazi – 89: Tbilisi, Georgia.F. J. Foakes-Jackson, A History of the Christian Church, Published by Cosimo, Inc., 2005, , page 556Antony Eastmond, Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia, Penn State Press, 1998, , page 119 Of the many churches in Georgia named after the Saint, the Cathedral of St. George at the Alaverdi Monastery is one of the largest.
Devotions to the saint in Georgia date back to the 4th century. While not technically named after the saint (Sakartvelo is the Georgian name for the country), its English name is an early and well-attested back-derivation of Saint George. The terms Georgia and Georgians appeared in Western Europe in numerous early medieval annals, gradually replacing the ancient exonyms of Iberia and Iberians. The French chronicler Jacques de Vitry and the English traveler Sir John Mandeville wrote that Georgians are called Georgian because they especially revere Saint George.
The Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates St. George's Day twice a year, on 6 May (O.C. 23 April) and 23 November. The feast day in November was instituted by St Nino of Cappadocia, who was credited with bringing Christianity to the land of Georgia in the 4th century. She was from Cappadocia, like Saint George, and was said to be his relative. This feast day is unique to Georgia, and it is the day of St George's martyrdom.
There are also many folk traditions in Georgia that vary from Georgian Orthodox Church rules, because they portray the Saint differently from the Church, and show the veneration of Saint George by the common people of Georgia. Different regions of Georgia have different traditions, and in most folk tales Saint George is venerated very highly. In the province of Kakheti, there is an icon of St George known as White George. This image is also seen on the current Coat of Arms of Georgia. The region of Pshavi has icons known as the Cuppola St. George and Lashari St. George. The Khevsureti region has Kakhmati, Gudani, and Sanebi icons dedicated to the Saint. The Pshavs and Khevsurs during the Middle Ages used to refer to Saint George almost as much as praying to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Another notable icon is known as the Lomisi Saint George, which can be found in the Mtiuleti and Khevi provinces of Georgia.
An example of a folk tale about St. George is given by author Enriko Gabidzashvili:
გიორგი (giorgi), the Georgian variant of name George, is historically the most popular given name for men in Georgia.
England
Traces of the cult of St George predate the Norman Conquest, in 9th-century liturgy used at Durham Cathedral, in a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon martyrology, and in dedications to Saint George at Fordington, Dorset, at Thetford, Norfolk and Doncaster. He received further impetus when the Crusaders returned from the Holy Land in the 12th century. At the Battle of Antioch in 1098, St George, St Demetrius and St Maurice were said to have been seen riding alongside the crusaders, and depictions of this event can be seen in a number of churches.M.D. Anderson, History and Images in British Churches (1995, pp. 195-196) King Edward III (reigned 1327–77) was known for promoting the codes of knighthood and in 1348 founded the Order of the Garter. During Edward's reign, George came to be recognised as the patron saint of the English monarchy; before this, Saint Edmund had been considered the patron saint of England, although his veneration had waned since the time of the Norman conquest, and his cult was partly eclipsed by that of Edward the Confessor. Edward dedicated the chapel at Windsor Castle to the soldier saint who represented the knightly values of chivalry which he so much admired, and the Garter ceremony takes place there every year. In the 16th century, Edmund Spenser included St. George (Redcross Knight) as a central figure in his epic poem The Faerie Queene. William Shakespeare firmly placed St George within the national conscience in his play Henry V, in which the English troops are rallied with the cry "God for Harry, England and St George," and in Richard III, and King Lear.
A late 17th-century ballad, St. George and the Dragon, also claims St. George as an English patron. The ballad compares other mythic and historical heroes with the merit of St. George and concludes that all are less important than St. George.
With the revival of Scottish and Welsh nationalism, there has been renewed interest within England in Saint George, whose memory had been in abeyance for many years. This is most evident in the St George's flags which now have replaced Union Flags in stadiums where English sports teams compete. Above the Palace of Westminster, there are six shields above each of the four clock faces of Big Ben, twenty-four in total, all depicting the arms of St George, representing the Flag of England, London as the capital city of England, and St. George as the patron saint of England. This symbolism is also repeated in the central lobby of the Houses of Parliament, in an enormous mosaic created by Sir Edward John Poynter in 1869, depicting St George and the Dragon with these arms, entitled "St George for England".Jarrold Publishing, Norwich. Palace of Westminster Collection
St George's Day is also celebrated each year in London with a day of celebration run by the Greater London Authority and the London Mayor. The UK Houses of Parliament also celebrate St George's Day each year with a reception and other events, organised by the St. George's Day All Party Parliamentary Group, including providing every MP with a red rose to wear in his/her lapel. The Royal Society of St. George, City of London Branch hold a Banquet on St George's Day either in the Guildhall or a London Livery Hall, they also hold a Christmas Banquet at the Mansion House.
The city of Salisbury holds an annual St George's Day pageant, the origins of which are believed to go back to the 13th century.
The Order of St Michael and St George, a British order of chivalry, was founded in 1818, and partly named after the saint.
Ethiopia
Saint GeorgeGeʽez: ቅዱስ ጊዮርጊስ, Kidus Giyorgis. is venerated as the patron saint of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His figure plays a significant role in Ethiopian religious life, national identity, and artistic traditions. Often depicted on a white horse slaying a dragon, he remains one of the most frequent used subjects in Ethiopian iconography and continues to appear on churches, coins, and national emblems throughout the country.
His veneration is deeply rooted in Ethiopian history and culture, symbolizing divine protection and national identity. During the Battle of Adwa in 1896, Emperor Menelik II reportedly invoked the help of Saint George before leading Ethiopian forces to a historic victory over Italian colonial troops. This victory, which preserved Ethiopia's independence, is often attributed to divine intervention, with Saint George being credited as having appeared on horseback on the battlefield to guide the troops. Afterwards, Menelik II commissioned the construction of St. George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa to commemorate this victory. Completed in 1911, it now stands as a national symbol of resilience and faith.
One of the most enduring tributes to Saint George is the Church of Saint George (Bete Giyorgis) in Lalibela, a monolithic rock-hewn church dating back to the late 12th or early 13th century. Commissioned by King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, the church is carved in the shape of a cross from a single block of volcanic rock and is considered a masterpiece of Ethiopian medieval architecture. It is part of the Lalibela complex, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
His influence also permeated Ethiopian oral tradition, songs, and proverbs as a symbol of courage, righteousness, and divine justice. Throughout the country, numerous communities recount miracles attributed to Saint George, including protection from danger, healings, and apparitions. Annual processions, especially in areas where churches are dedicated to him, reinforce his prominence as a patron and protector. Additionally, his name lives on in Ethiopia's modern cultural and public life with elements like the Saint George Sports Club, based in Addis Ababa, is the country's most successful football club and bears his name and symbol. In the commercial sphere, St. George Beer, produced by BGI Ethiopia, is one of the oldest and most popular beer brands in the country, often associated with national pride. These cultural expressions demonstrate his lasting presence in the moral and spiritual imagination of the Ethiopians.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church commemorates Saint George's martyrdom on Miyazya 23 (May 1) and celebrates additional feast days, including the consecration of the first church dedicated to him on Hidar 7 (November 16). These feasts often involve pilgrimages, prayers, and fasting, and highlight the saint's spiritual role as intercessor and protector.
Iberia Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia
In Spain, Saint George also came to be considered as the patron saint of the medieval and early modern Crown of Aragon, the territory of four current autonomous communities of Spain: Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. Nowadays Saint George is the patron saint of both Aragon and Catalonia, as well as the patron saint of Barcelona (see Flag of Barcelona) and other historically important Spanish towns such as Cáceres or Alcoi (Spanish language: San Jorge, Catalan language: Sant Jordi, Aragonese language: San Chorche).Christian Roy, 2005, Traditional Festivals page 408
His feast date, 23 April, is one of the most important national holidays of Catalonia, where it is traditional to give a present to the loved one; red roses for women and books for men. In Aragon it is a public holiday, celebrated as the 'National Day of Aragon'. It is also a public holiday in Castile and Leon, where the day coincides with the commemoration of the defeat at the Revolt of the Comuneros.
Portugal and Brazil
Apparently, the English crusaders who helped King Afonso Henriques (1109–1185) in the conquest of Lisbon in 1147 introduced a devotion to Saint George to Portugal. Nevertheless, it was not until the time of King Afonso IV (1291–1357) that the use of São Jorge!! (Saint George) as a battle cry, substituted for the former Sant'Iago!! (Saint James). Nuno Álvares Pereira (1360–1431), Saint Constable of Portugal, considered Saint George the leader of the Portuguese victory in the battle of Aljubarrota. King John I (1357–1433) was also a devotee of the saint and was in his reign that Saint George replaced Saint James as the main patron saint of Portugal. In 1387, he ordered that its image on horse be carried in the Corpus Christi procession.Daily Life in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages, By A. H. de Oliveira Marques, Vitor Andre, S. S. Wyatt Published by Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1971 page 216