St Georg's Day Celebrations.

St Georges Day is on the way but unfortunately we are still unable to call it a national holiday as the bill before parliament has been withdrawn. I have contacted Mr Nadhim Zahawi MP for Stratford on Avon who I believe initially submitted the bill and am awaiting a reply.
The Bill had its first reading on 15 December 2010 through the Ten Minute Rule. The second reading was on 13 May 2011 but was subsequently withdrawn.
On a Brighter not this has not in any way stopped the English from preparing for this coming St Georges day.
In Plymouth (picture above) preparations are well underway for the event on 23rd April and also in many other cities and towns throughout the Nation of England.Birmingham unfortunately dose not seam to be celebrating this year if the website http://livebrum.co.uk/2012/04/21/st-george-s-day-celebration ) has anything to go by.
 The earliest documented mention of St George in England comes from the venerable Bede (c. 673–735)He is also mentioned in ninth-century liturgy used at Durham Cathedral,In 1222 The Synod of Oxford declared St. George's Day a feast day in the kingdom of England.St George's Day was a major feast and national holiday in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century.The Cross of St George was flown in 1497 by John Cabot on his voyage to discover Newfoundland and later by Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh.In 1620 it was the flag that was flown by the Mayflower when the Pilgrim Fathers arrived in Plymouth Massachusetts USA.Salisbury holds an annual St George’s Day pageant, the origins of which are believed to go back to the thirteenth century,A traditional custom on St George's day is to wear a red rose in one's lapel, though this is no longer widely practiced. Another custom is to fly or adorn the St George's Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on 23 April festooned with garlands of St George's crosses. It is customary for the hymn "Jerusalem" to be sung in cathedrals, churches and chapels on St George's Day.