St. George's Day 2026

When Is St. George's Day in 2026?

In 2026, St. George's Day falls on April 23. The observance lasts 1 day. St. George's Day is observed on a fixed date each year. Not a bank holiday in England (despite campaigns to make it one). When April 23 falls close to Easter, the church may move the observance. Also the national day of Georgia, Portugal, and several other regions that claim St. George as patron. UNESCO also marks April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day. St. George's Day is observed on the same date each year: April 23. Here are the dates for the next five years: Year Date 2026 April 23 2027 April 23 2028 April 23 2029 April 23 2030 April 23

What Time Does St. George's Day Start in Your Time Zone?

St. George's Day is fixed on April 23 — the traditional date of St. George's martyrdom in 303 CE. As a non-statutory holiday in England (it is not a bank holiday), it is observed on April 23 itself, regardless of the day of the week. There have been ongoing campaigns to make St. George's Day a bank holiday, but as of 2025 these have not succeeded. In 2026, April 23 falls on a Thursday, so the holiday is observed on April 23 itself — without a long weekend. Because St. George's Day is a fixed Gregorian date, it is timezone-independent. English people in all parts of the country observe St. George's Day on April 23. St. George is also the patron saint of several other countries and regions — including Georgia (the country), Russia, Greece, Portugal, Catalonia (in Spain), and the city of Venice — all of which have their own St. George's Day traditions on April 23 (or, in some cases, on November 23, the date of a separate feast). The Catalan celebration of La Diada de Sant Jordi is one of the most festive, with the exchange of roses and books (April 23 is also the date of the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes, making it World Book Day). The table below shows the observance date for St. George's Day in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA April 23 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK April 23 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India April 23 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia April 23 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE April 23 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind St. George's Day

St. George's Day, observed on April 23, is England's national day, celebrating St. George — the patron saint of England. St. George was a Roman soldier of Greek origin, born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) in the 3rd century CE, who was martyred for his Christian faith around 303 CE. He is most famous for the legend of his slaying of a dragon — a story that became the central image of his veneration throughout medieval Europe. The legend of St. George and the dragon tells of a city (usually identified as Silene in Libya) that was terrorized by a dragon. To appease the dragon, the city fed it sheep, and then, when sheep ran out, the city's children, chosen by lot. One day, the lot fell on the king's daughter. As she was being led to the dragon, St. George happened to ride by. He made the sign of the cross, attacked the dragon, and wounded it. He then instructed the princess to throw her girdle around the dragon's neck, which tamed it. The dragon was led into the city, where St. George killed it (in some versions) or converted the king and his people to Christianity and then killed it. The story is obviously mythological, but it made St. George the symbol of Christian courage and the triumph of good over evil. St. George was adopted as the patron saint of England in the 14th century, during the reign of King Edward III. Edward III established the Order of the Garter — England's highest order of chivalry — on St. George's Day in 1348, and dedicated the order's chapel (St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle) to the saint. The St. George's Cross — a red cross on a white background — became England's flag, and was later incorporated into the Union Jack (the flag of the United Kingdom). St. George's Day was a major feast day in medieval England, but its observance declined after the Reformation, and by the 18th century it was largely forgotten. The revival of St. George's Day as a national celebration is a relatively recent phenomenon, part of a broader renaissance of English national identity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

How St. George's Day Is Celebrated

St. George's Day is celebrated in England with a variety of events, though the holiday is less widely observed than St. Patrick's Day in Ireland or St. Andrew's Day in Scotland. The most visible celebration is the flying of the St. George's Cross — the red cross on a white background — from homes, public buildings, and (particularly) pubs. Some towns and cities hold St. George's Day parades, often featuring Morris dancers (traditional English folk dancers), marching bands, and reenactments of St. George and the dragon. The largest St. George's Day celebration is in Manchester, which holds a weekend festival with music, dance, and food. Traditional English foods are eaten on St. George's Day. The most iconic is the Sunday roast — a meal of roast meat (typically beef), roasted potatoes, vegetables, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding — served in pubs and homes across England. Other traditional English foods include fish and chips, bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes), shepherd's pie, and English breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast). Pubs may offer special St. George's Day menus featuring these dishes, often with English ale or cider. St. George's Day is also associated with the promotion of English culture. The English Tourist Board uses the day to encourage visits to English heritage sites, and many historic properties (including those managed by English Heritage and the National Trust) hold special events. The Royal Society of St. George — an organization dedicated to celebrating English culture — holds banquets, parades, and other events on St. George's Day. Some communities use the day to celebrate the diversity of modern English identity, with multicultural festivals alongside the traditional celebrations. Shakespeare's birthday (also traditionally April 23, though his actual birth date is unknown) is sometimes celebrated on the same day, with events at Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.

St. George's Day on the Calendar

St. George's Day is fixed on April 23, the traditional date of St. George's martyrdom in 303 CE. The date never changes. The day of the week on which April 23 falls determines whether St. George's Day falls on a weekend or a weekday. In 2026, April 23 is a Thursday, so the holiday is observed mid-week. Campaigns to make St. George's Day a bank holiday — or to move it to the nearest Monday — have not succeeded, so the date remains fixed on April 23.

Fixed on April 23 (feast day of St. George, patron saint of England)

Did You Know? St. George's Day Facts & Trivia

St. George's Day celebrates St. George — the patron saint of England. St. George was a Roman soldier of Greek origin, born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) in the 3rd century CE, who was martyred for his Christian faith around 303 CE. He is most famous for the legend of his slaying of a dragon. The legend of St. George and the dragon tells of a city terrorized by a dragon that was appeased with sheep and then with the city's children, chosen by lot. When the lot fell on the king's daughter, St. George rode by, made the sign of the cross, attacked the dragon, and wounded it. The story made St. George the symbol of Christian courage and the triumph of good over evil. St. George was adopted as the patron saint of England in the 14th century, during the reign of King Edward III. Edward III established the Order of the Garter — England's highest order of chivalry — on St. George's Day in 1348, and dedicated the order's chapel (St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle) to the saint. The St. George's Cross — a red cross on a white background — became England's flag. St. George's Day is also the traditional date of Shakespeare's birthday (though his actual birth date is unknown, he was baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616). Events at Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon celebrate both St. George's Day and Shakespeare's birthday on April 23.