St. Georges' Day, 23 April is a date firmly in virtually every single Englishmen's diary, but what are we actually celebrating? England shares St George with Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia, and Catalonia among others, and St George is probably a fictional character who holds no real ties to England. 

I love celebrating England and English culture, but I would much prefer that we were venerating a real and hopefully English Patron Saint who had actually achieved a great military feat and died as a martyr. English history is littered with countless heroes who died in defense of England, the English people and in the service of the King. Heroes and/or Saints, in particular, should be truly brave and honorable people who died in sacrifice for a true purpose and completed their objectives to the best of their ability.   

Edmund the Martyr, formerly King of East Anglia from 855 until his death, has been long touted as a worthy successor to St George and there have been campaigns in the past to venerate Edmund the Martyr as presumably St Edmund the Martyr of England.  

Bury St Edmunds borrows its name from King Edmund of East Anglia, the original Patron Saint of England. The Abbey of St Edmund was once one of the most wealthy and famous pilgrimage sites in England.

St Edmund's Day is celebrated around the world every year on November 20th, but hardly anyone remembers King Edmund of East Anglia or his martyrdom. I was never educated on this event in England's history during my comprehensive education - I simply found out myself. 

Celebrating England, English history is something that I will always do and I will use St George's Day as an excuse to do it. I simply argue that we should instead choose a different Patron Saint of England, or go back to Edmund the Martyr. 

By Zack Culshaw