LONDON (AFP) — The cross of Saint George flew over Downing Street on Wednesday, but efforts to urge the English to take more pride in their long-neglected national day fell mainly on deaf ears.
While Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated across the globe by the Irish, the remotely Irish and anyone else who fancies a jolly-up, Saint George's Day just doesn't seem to register in the same way -- even in England.
The vast majority of English people would be extremely hard put to name the date of their national day, and most are more likely to know France's July 14 Bastille Day or the July 4 holiday in the United States.
The fact that Saint George's day is not a public holiday only adds to the general lack of interest.
The non-event on April 23 is punctuated by English breweries trying to cash in and promote a party atmosphere, left-wingers wanting to reclaim patriotism from racists, bee-in-the-bonnet oddballs and everyday folk wondering why the English just don't seem to bother.
"Don't be embarrassed about the idea -- it's OK to be English," urged the English Democrats, a tiny political party whose members dressed up Wednesday as the dragon-slaying saint outside parliament.
The Daily Star tabloid blamed the apparent patriotic reticence on a "mess of political correctness where the ordinary, tax-paying, working-class English... have been trampled over", and set about putting things right with a picture of Miss England scoffing a traditional steak and ale pie.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown -- a Scot, no less -- tried to stir up some nationalist fervour by breaking with tradition to fly the red-on-white cross of St George above his office in London.
But the sodden flag of England largely hung limply against the pole in the usual April showers.
"The prime minister's view is that of course we should celebrate our Britishness, but celebrating our Britishness does not mean we cannot also celebrate our Englishness, Scottishness, Welshness or Northern Irishness," explained a Downing Street spokesman.
The Daily Telegraph, a conservative, traditional broadsheet, ran an eight-page souvenir supplement, complete with a quiz and pictures of morris dancing, roast beef and cricketers.
Their survey of 2,032 electors by pollsters YouGov found that 65 percent thought Saint George's Day should be a national holiday.
However, 64 percent thought the English were too shy about celebrating it and the same percentage said they would not bother marking it this year.
Asked which four things they most associated with England, 61 percent said the monarchy, 58 percent said fish and chips, 50 percent said William Shakespeare -- whose birthday is also April 23 -- and 43 percent said roast beef.
Thirteen percent said their dominant emotion about England was "overcrowded".
Patriotic businessman David Haythornthwaite stood out by giving his 120 employees a paid day off, including the Polish workers at his pet health food firm.
London's Trafalgar Square was given over to a market, with stalls selling English produce, such as oysters and shellfish from Cornwall, Westmorland wild boar and pork, Chelsea buns and Eccles cakes.
Elsewhere, medieval displays, tournaments and historic mummer's plays recounting the tale of Saint George slaying the dragon were taking place.
Meanwhile pubs were offering special deals on English beer, and free hats after a certain number of pints in a bid to generate some enthusiasm.
"Saint George's Day is about celebrating all things English so what better way to toast England and Saint George than with a pint of traditional English bitter?" said Paul Wells from the Charles Wells brewery.
Many may even be inspired to celebrate Saint George's better next year -- and then promptly forget all about it.
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