Saint George's Day

The St. George's St. George's Day or (even Georgi ) is 23 April and the day of celebration in honor of St. George, the early Christian martyr of Cappadocia.

The counting of the 14 Holy Helpers saint is the patron of many places - and since the Synod of Oxford in 1222 the patron saint of England. Therefore, the so-called Garter chapter is held on this day in the chapel of St. George at Windsor.

In England alone were the gallant martyrs, but about his life, there are few reliable data, consecrated over 160 churches. Richard the Lionheart chose him as his personal patron.

State and church patron

St. George ( the legendary " Dragon Slayer " ), inter alia the patron saint of Catalonia and Georgia, the city of Genoa, the city of Barcelona, the city of Freiburg im Breisgau and the diocese of Limburg. Everywhere the St. George's Day is celebrated.

George is also the first churches and patron of numerous churches, monasteries, places and schools. Therefore, Georgi is a popular day for religious holidays, and other celebrations. He is also the patron saint of the Boy Scouts. Based on an old Catalan tradition of St. George's Day is also World Book Day since 1995.

The Georg churches usually go back to very early times; some are probably on places where pagan worship were. Heard of St. George but the most important pastoral and conversion cartridges of the Roman and Bavarian missionary. In many places, reminiscent of the St. George's Day at overcoming the dragon, who became a symbol of paganism. In the home directory to the medieval Rossberg (Baden) is on St George wrote: The Virgin, whom he freed from the power of Untieres [ the Knights ] according to the legend, suggesting ancient mythical notions that were related to the numerous spring customs.

Festivals and Customs

To Customs at the St. George's Day include the Georgiritt and rider processions (which are in many places revived ), the free night and some George bells.

In Burgenland, George is one of the most important saints, and from Georgi may not be entered in the fields. As the weather saint he is in the farmers' almanac for snow bringer: "St. George comes to old customs on the mold ridden " (last snowflakes ). The servants were able to change their employer on St. George's Day, and interest rates were at most deferred until George's Day.

In many places in Bavaria and Austria more will they Georgi horse, bless them and pray for their farmers and riders. The traditional Pferdeumritte are usually on the following Sunday or on Easter Monday. Only in St. George at the Julbach rode round will be held on Leonhardstag. In some places, old Georg rites are revived, such as the wax lifts in Bad Mergentheim, where the shooting guilds of 1500-1695 and the Teutonic Knights intends. Many scout groups celebrate their " special day " with a ground game.

The veneration of George started in the Middle East (especially Lydda - Diospolis ) and in early Christian Egypt and Ethiopia. The strongest it spread to Cyprus, in Cappadocia (now Turkey) and in Georgia. From here, the cult later came to Russia and the Balkans, where he is as djurdjevdan / Herdelezi one of the most important holidays of the Roma. In the Slovenian Bela Krajina this tradition is still alive in the Jurjevanje hard. Here, a young man becomes completely covered with green branches and accompanied by singers and musicians who will distribute all the forces that oppose the spring. In the West, Georg churches are, inter alia, in Mainz, Paris and Naples detectable later than the 6th century. In Germany, Georg cult reached a climax when Bishop Hatto of Mainz 896 the suspected head of the martyr on the Lake Constance Reichenau Island brought ( Collegiate Church of St. George in upper cell ). However, since the historical verifiability is doubted many stories that Georg worship is in long-term decay.

Lostag, weather and other rules

Since time immemorial the weather to " Georgi " has a special meaning and is a Lostag for numerous proverbs. What happens if it rains on 22 or 23 April scented or shine? It should usually be read, as the crop will be and the weather developed in the near future.

Is there increased storm which is considered an indication of a cool summer. Sunshine at St. George's said to provide a rich apple harvest, and be decisive for the state of vines up to St. Gallus (16th October). The same is said of the corn, oats and flowers on the Rhine and in Silesia.

Of all the days of April, Georgi is the most important for field and livestock. In the whole of southern Germany the seed or setting plants in April is considered early. For vegetable seeds one says: " Baust mi in April, i know when i will kimm - Baust mi in May, kimm i same. " The same is said in the Bohemian and Chebsko from potato setting.

Several sayings bring the Annunciation and St. George's in the context - for example, in Estonia: If the Fastenmarientag (March 23 ) Snow on the roof, are at the St. George's snowdrifts on the fence ( cold spring, Weblink 2-3). In contrast to bring the Virgin Mary or St. George's warm months Reif.

St. George's, White Sunday and May 1 were at Lechrain the three free nights of single people, in which all sorts of mischief was driven.

The Hundred Years' Calendar recommends ( Fasting ), but before Easter (hence no later than April 23-24. ) Is to be finished for April venesection or purging. For swimming in the open states in Bohemia that all water until April 24 ( George) was poisonous and one hitherto under no circumstances shall bathe. Probably belongs more to superstition a rule in Lithuania ( Pillkall ), at St. George's nothing of animals, birds and fish to eat root end. On the force of the spring herbs based the advice to lay in April and dug parched valerian roots now against moths in wardrobes.

Various studies show that many of the traditional, rural weather rules have a high Zutreffrate. They are predominantly influenced by the regional experience, so they may differ over larger areas of time. When George's Day but this is (despite the frequent " April weather " ) is hardly the case, as the correspondence shows specific rules with more general:

Special peasants and weather rules

• " 's Raining on St. George's, still takes long rain Plag. " But:
• " When the sun shines on Georgi, many apples are ripe. "
• " George with heat, Nicholas (May 9 ) with food ." (Russia)
• "Was there thunderstorm at Georg Stach, it follows certainly not after cold. " (Northern Germany? )
• " Will be Georgi show with rain, so spoil the figs " ( Italian: Aqua de San Giorgi, Carestia de Fich )
• " What to Georgi drive the vines, will not stay them until the Gallus. " (Gallus = October 10th)
• To Georgi "blind " Vines · give full grapes later.
• " There's a sea of ​​flowers to St. George, then to St. Matthew (21 September ) the baskets empty. "
• " On St. George's Day, the grain is already stretching so that the crow can hide in it. "
• "It indicates a good harvest when already can hide the crow in the grain to George. " - Or:

Georgi sayings and general rules Weather

• " Georgi brings green shoe. "

• " On St. George 's goodness, all beaming ' in bloom. "
• Of St. George 's horse, which enters the oats in d ' earth.
• The St. George's Day, which is the horse special day.
• " George is coming to old ways on a white horse ridden. "

• Georg and Markus (April 25 ) without consolation, scare us very often with frost.
• If piles of snow lying on St. George's Day at the fence, the trees at Michaelmas (29 September ) will have leaves.
• " If the George on a white horse, then comes a good spring from the sky. " - But:
• " Is it on Georgi warm and beautiful, you will seh'n still rough weather. "
• " Is it to Georgi bright and warm, there 's even a weather that God have mercy. "