The parade – comprising many young uniformed groups – started in the Old Cattle Market Car Park.
First to leave was the Chinese Dragon. It took a short cut…
The Oxford Caledonian Pipe Band then led the rest of the parade round and along Abbey Close. Unlike last year it did not go to St Helen’s Church.
Instead they saluted the dignitaries at the entrance to the Abbey Gardens. Dignatories included… the Mayor, the Chair AND Vice Chair of the Vale District Council, and some senior scout and guide leaders.
The uniformed groups then gathered in a large circle, at the spot where the Abbey once stood – for the religious part of the proceedings…
Revd. Richard from Trinity Church blessed a new scout district flag.
I do not know what came next as I had to leave. Perhaps somebody out there knows…
What fun! A Chinese dragon and a Caledonian pipe band on St George’s day. Since he appears to have been a Middle Eastern mercenary, the multicultural approach seems appropriate. However, I wonder what will turn up on St Andrew’s Day – or St Patrick’s or St David’s…
Paul, you’ve got your facts wrong about St. George, I’m afraid! He was not a mercenary, he was a senior officer in the regular Roman army. Not sure why his coming from Asia Minor justifies multiculturalism – that isn’t the point of patron saints.The Chinese dragon and Scottish band seem completely inappropriate, as those countries have no connection with St. George. He’s England’s patron saint – couldn’t we have something English? If you’d had an attraction from Catalonia in Spain, or Russia, for example, who also have St. George as their patron saint, that would have made sense.
Actually, on second sight, are you sure that’s a Chinese dragon? Doesn’t look like any I’ve seen before at Chinese New Year celebrations. Looks remarkably European!
Could be a Morris (that is, Moorish) dragon. The traditions about St George are very confused; the Roman army connection makes him respectable, but the more recent stuff I have seen suggested the Asia Minor mercenary origin. In either event, we certainly share him with other nations. I like the multiculturalism of contemporary Britain, and I enjoy the irony of having a patron saint who might have difficulty getting past immigration at Heathrow or Dover.
Excellent celebration, however!
What are the sources for the mercenary theory – I’d be interested to check out their authenticity? All the sources I’ve come across point to his being a regular army officer. It was because he was an army officer that he found himself required to persecute Christians on the orders of the Emperor Diocletian. What made him respectable, i.e. worthy of respect, was his willingness to live by his Christian beliefs even laying down his life rather than taking part in something he knew to be wicked – the slaughter of innocent men and women. I find it great that so many other nations have St. George as their patron too, but that’s not multiculturalism, that’s all of us sharing in a single culture – Christian culture. It has many local variations, which gives it a depth and richness, but it’s ultimately celebrating a cultural unity, not its opposite, diversity.
Well whatever type of Dragon it was it looks like lots of fun was had by all. As the above said, cant wiat to see what you do for other saints days.
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