Here at Hartcliffe Nursery School, we love finding reasons to come together as a community – and this year we have quite a few to celebrate all at once!
On 6th May, we are hosting a family picnic to mark May Day, St George’s Day, Easter, and Eid and together, and we cannot wait to celebrate with our wonderful community. More details to follow!
St George’s Day falls on 23rd April, and the story behind England’s patron saint is fascinating. St George was actually born in what is now Turkey, to a mother from Palestine, and spent his whole life in the Middle East. He was a soldier in the Roman army who stood up bravely for his beliefs, even when it put him in great danger. He was eventually imprisoned and killed for his faith on 23rd April in the year 303, over 1,700 years ago.
He never once visited England, and yet his story of courage and doing what is right captured hearts across the world. Today, St George is celebrated as a patron saint in many countries, including Portugal, Ethiopia, Catalonia and Palestine. He truly is a saint who belongs to everyone.
As for the dragon? That famous part of the story was actually added hundreds of years after St George lived, as a way of showing his courage in standing up against evil. It is a wonderful piece of storytelling that has fired imaginations ever since!
What makes St George’s story especially wonderful for a community like ours here at Hartcliffe is how universal it is. People from all kinds of backgrounds, Christian, Muslim, and many others, have found meaning and inspiration in his story across the centuries. In parts of the Middle East, he is known as “Al-Khadr”, honoured by both Christian and Muslim communities to this day, and regarded by many Muslims as a martyr for his faith.
We hope to see you all at the picnic on 6 May – more details to follow!