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Happy St George's Day, England! The 23rd of April has been a national feast day since 1415, after the Council of Oxford declared this date to be St George's Day and after St George replaced Edward the Confessor as England's patron saint in the 14th century. His emblem is a red cross on a white background, which is incorporated in the British flag, so you'd think that it's safe to assume that he's a typically English Saint.

However, St George is a popular lad and keeps himself very busy these days. He is also patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal and Russia; he protects numerous cities all over the world and helps soldiers, archers, cavalry, chivalry, scouts, farmers, riders, saddlers and those suffering from syphilis, leprosy and plague. All the more reason to celebrate his day properly!

One of the most interesting places to be today is Kos. The Greeks mainly celebrate today because St George is also the patron saint of shepherds. The village Pyli is worth a visit any time of the year because you can see the ruins of the tomb of Charmylos, an early Christian Basilica founded by Saint Chritodoulos and the castle of Pyli. But on St George's day, the locals always organise horse races. The prize they're fighting for? The blessings of the saint.