St George’s Day 2023: Google Doodle celebrates patron saint of England with special artwork - what it means

People and communities all over England are celebrating St George’s Day today and to mark the occasion, Google has released its well known ‘doodle’ to commemorate the day. The doodle has a stained glass window effect and focuses on the lore surrounding St George and his mythical adventures.

Regarding the doodle, Google said: “Today’s Doodle celebrates St. George’s Day and the lore surrounding him. On this day in 303, St. George passed away, but the tales of his adventures live on.

“Legend has it that St. George visited a town in Libya called Silene, where a dragon guarded the only well. When he realised the people’s access to fresh water was heavily limited, he slayed the dragon and liberated the city from it.

“Bushes with the reddest roses ever seen are said to have begun growing throughout Silene after the dragon was defeated — so some people give a red rose to a loved one on St. George’s Day, or wear one on their lapel. Today’s Doodle artwork (made from hand-cut acrylic glass) features the dragon and roses from the tale of St. George.

“Those who celebrate the day may hang a flag featuring St. George’s cross, which is a red cross on a white background. And the celebrations aren’t limited to the United Kingdom — ceremonies take place across Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia, and Catalonia on this day as well.”

April 23 is remembered as St George’s Day as this is widely recognised to have been the day of his death. Annual celebrations mark the anniversary of his passing in 303 AD. In the early 4th century, St George became a martyr after he was executed during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian after refusing to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan gods.