On the feast of St. George the Victorious, one of the most famous Christian saints is remembered.
The famous Christian saint George of Cappadocia, who in many countries is known as St. George the Victorious, endured particularly severe suffering for Christ and was canonized as a great martyr. We talk about the life history of the saint, what prayers are offered to him and when the day of St. George the Victorious is celebrated according to the new calendar in 2024 in the material.
Who is St. George the Victorious
George lived in the 3rd-4th centuries, was born in Cappadocia (now the territory of Turkey), into a rich and noble family. Later he moved to Palestine, entered military service and became a military commander for the pagan emperor Diocletian. George was a strong and handsome young man, he stood out among others for his courage and intelligence and was the emperor’s favorite. But Diocletian planned to revive paganism and eradicate Christianity. George, who professed faith in Christ, refused to deal with Christians at the behest of the emperor and decided to share his fate with his fellow believers. He distributed his property to the poor, set his slaves free, and he himself went to Diocletian, declared his religion and accused the ruler of cruelty and injustice.
At first they tried to persuade George to renounce Christ, but to no avail. Then the warrior was thrown into prison and began to be tortured. The incredible happened: an angel appeared and healed him – many then immediately believed in Christ, among them was the wife of Emperor Alexander. No amount of torture could break the saint – he remained safe and sound. Moreover, with his prayers, George resurrected the dead and healed prisoners in prison. Then he and Alexander were ordered to be executed, but the queen died on the way to the chopping block.
How St. George the Victorious killed the snake
The most famous feat of Saint George is his victory over the serpent, which wound up in the waters of a lake near Beirut (Libya). There are two versions of when this happened: one, the warrior defeated the monster at the beginning of his military service, and three, after his death.
The snake dragged people to the bottom and ate them there. Residents of the city were forced to give the snake every day to be eaten by young people. On one of these days, a girl, waiting for her fate on the shore of the lake, saw a warrior on a horse: George prayed, rushed at the snake and killed him. The amazed residents of the city believed in Christ, and a temple was built near the lake. This miracle received its own interpretation: the serpent is the embodiment of the devil, victory over him is a symbol of the triumph of Christianity over paganism.
Saint George was named the Victorious for his courage and spiritual victory over the executioners, who could not force him to renounce his faith, as well as for his miraculous help to people in danger.
When is the feast of St. George the Victorious according to the old and new calendar?
April 23 303 is considered the date of death of the saint, the same date is the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious according to the new church calendar. According to the old style, the saint is remembered the 6th of May.
Let us remind you that after the transition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to the new church calendar, all immutable holidays and days of remembrance (with a fixed date) moved 13 days earlier.
Feast of St. George the Victorious – traditions and what not to do
On the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious, it is good to go to church or read prayers to St. George the Victorious at home.
St. George the Victorious is the patron saint of warriors and everyone who suffers from the military, farmers and cattle breeders, a protector from enemies and wild animals.
They ask Saint George blessings, protection and health, especially for those who are now in military service and far from home, to help find peace, protect from enemies, ill-wishers, human malice and predatory animals, preserve crops and livestock, protect from natural disasters, fires, floods and ruin.
The people called the holiday Yegoryev or Yuryev’s Day.
What not to do on St. George’s Day:
- swear, use foul language;
- harm livestock and domestic animals;
- sew and embroider;
- cut – use scissors, an ax;
- hunt and fish.
It is also not recommended to work a lot on this day.
Previously, we published the Orthodox calendar for May 2024 with holidays according to the old and new styles.
