St George’s Day w/ BackBeat!
Fri, April 23
5:00pm-2:00am

The Oxford will be celebrating England’s national holiday, St. George’s day, on April 23^rd with a feast, British rock band, games and a raffle with St. George himself!

We will be celebrating St. George as the English do, with a great feast.  Bangers and mash, pie, fish and chips, pork pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs are just a few of the tasty treats on the menu for the night.

Dance the night away to the live music starting at 9:30p.m. There will be a British rock band: THE BACKBEAT! Check them out online: 

http://www.unc.edu/~pcole/BackBeat_website/backbeat.htm
http://www.myspace.com/thebackbeatcentral

St. George himself will be there to celebrate. There will be a raffle with some great prizes and St. George will announce a winner every hour. Make sure to capture the fun of the evening with a picture of you and the man of the night!

The Daughters of the British Empire have chosen to celebrate England’s National Holiday at the Oxford. The main object of the D.B.E. is the support of the four District Homes, which were founded by the Society for retired men and women who are residents and/or citizens of the United States. The Society provides a large network of members across the United States, which can ease the transition for National and International relocations through our common background and understanding. The Daughters of the British Empire participate in philanthropic endeavors in their own communities. http://dbenc.org/

Not English? No worries bring your appetite and your friends for a night of drinks, music and fun at the Oxford!

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Here is a little background information for those of you who are history buffs…

England’s national holiday is observed in memory of their patron saint, St George. King Edward III chose St George to be patron saint of the Order of the Garter-- the highest order of English knighthood. Historians feel his promotion as patron saint is mainly due to his popularity among English crusaders who eventually used his name as a battle cry during the Hundred Years War.

According to history the real St. George was a cavalryman who lived in the 4th century. Allegedly born in what is now called Turkey, he died a martyr's death in 303 A.D. for protesting against the persecution of Christians when Rome was governed by an anti-Christian emperor, Diocletian.

St George is the subject of many legends, including a story that St. George rescued a hapless maid by slaying a fearsome fire-breathing dragon! Although once a very prominent holy day in the Christian calendar, St George's Day is today celebrated mainly by special parades and rallies. On this day, the flag of St George (a red cross on white background) is flown from church towers and many other buildings. Also St George's symbol is the English rose and so a rose is what many Englishmen wear in their lapels to mark the day.

The saint's name was shouted as a battle cry by English knights who fought beneath the red-cross banner of St. George during the Hundred Years War (1338-1453).

This is immortalised in Shakespeare's play Henry V in the lines:-
'I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry "God for Harry! England and Saint George!"'