Saint George (Aghios Georgios) is usually celebrated annually on 23rd April, however, this year the Saint will be celebrated on Easter Monday 6th May 2024.  This is because the Orthodox Easter falls after 23rd April this year, so in Greece the Saint will be celebrated on Easter Monday instead.  When celebrations coinside within the Great Lent or Holy Week, the Orthodox Church mourns the Passion of Christ, so it is no time for celebration, so the feast of St. George is transferred to the day after Easter Sunday.  St. George is one of the most venerated saints in the Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, East Syrian and Miaphysite Churches, as well as being the patron saint of the Hellenic Army, since during his life he used to be a senior Roman military officer.  Saint George is also the patron saint of England.

In addition to Greece and England, St George is also celebrated in Cyprus, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Canada, Portugal, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Bosnia & Herzegovina.  He is immortalised in the myth of 'George and the Dragon'.

Saint George was born in Cappadocia in AD 270 of Greek descent, and according to tradition, he became an officer in the Praetorian Guard.  As a Christian, he was persecuted, tortured and finally executed on 23rd April AD 303, when he was beheaded for resigning his Roman military post and protesting against his pagan leader, the Emperor Diocletian, who led Rome's persecution of Christians.  The Emperor's wife, Empress Alexandra, was so inspired by Saint George's bravery and loyalty to his religion, she too became a Christian and was subsequently executed for her faith.

The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon to protect the life of a princess, with the dragon commonly used to represent the Devil in the Middle Ages.  The slaying of the dragon by Saint George was first credited to him during the 12th century, long after his death and it is therefore likely that the many fanciful stories connected with Saint George’s name are fictitious.  During the Third Crusade, Saint George and his emblem, a red cross on a white background, was adopted by King Richard I the Lionheart and brought back to England in the 12th century, as the king's soldiers would wear it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle, becoming the national flag. 

The town of Arachova, in central Greece where the saint is the town's patron, holds the largest St George festival or paniyiri in the whole of Greece.  A tradition which has its roots from Byzantine times, it survived the Ottoman occupation and draws thousands of visitors every year.  Local men, women and children dress in traditional clothes, sing and dance as they repeat the Easter tradition of roasting lamb in the streets of Arachova.  A procession carrying the saint's icon parades around the village towards the church, followed by crowds dressed in traditional clothing, entertained by singing and dancing troupes along the way.  Arachova is known as the 'Winter Mykonos of Greece' and most households have someone called Georgios or Georgia among their family and friends.