ON MARCH 17 each year, you can pretty much guarantee that the pubs of Croydon and beyond will be packed full of revellers in big hats; singing, dancing and enjoying a pint of the black stuff.
But April 23? It's just another day to most. While we get energised and liquidised for St Patrick's Day, the national day of Ireland, our own celebration often passes without any pomp or ceremony.
The trend was bucked by a few Croydon pub landlords who organised St George's Day activities for their punters.
John O'Leary, who owns the Smugglers Inn in Coulsdon, said: "I am Irish and I find it so strange that English people celebrate St Patrick's Day but not St George's; it's a real shame.
"I put something on every year for St George's Day and it's always popular, which proves Croydon's residents want to recognise the day a bit more.
"I came here in 2001 and have been putting on St George's Day events since and it is exceptionally well attended.
"But for some reason we are one of very few pubs that recognise it. We have good fish being served and some Chas and Dave-style singing and the customers enjoy it.
"It should be a bank holiday so everyone can enjoy it."
The bank holiday call has been backed by politicians on both sides of the Croydon political divide.
Steve O'Connell, Tory Kenley councillor and GLA member for Croydon and Sutton, told the Advertiser: "I have thought for some time that St George's Day should be recognised as a bank holiday, I think it's a great idea.
"As a country we tend to downplay our national identity, and I do get irritated with the way we celebrate St Patrick's Day but fail to really do anything on St George's.
"We could do a little more and I think we should consider it as a public holiday. My gym has St George's flags up right now but that is an exception, whereas on St Patrick's Day every pub has a shamrock or something in it.
"We should be celebrating our day too."
Labour's Croydon North MP Steve Reed agrees.
He said: "It's true that the day is not recognised and it would be great if it was, but I have heard a rumour that the May Day bank holiday could be scrapped and replaced with St George's Day.
"I think this is an awful idea as May Day is a grand tradition going back hundreds of years.
"If anything, St George's Day should be added as we have a below average number of bank holidays than most of Europe anyway."
However, not everyone agrees with the idea of turning St George's Day into a national celebration.
Andrew Fisher, 33, from Woodside, said: "I think we already have a lot of days off around this time of year, with the Easter bank holidays and May Day, whereas around the autumn time there is a long slog up to Christmas with no bank holidays at all."
"I also feel a lot of people are embarrassed by the people who usually end up waving the flag, like the EDL and the National Front which is ironic as all the evidence points to St George being a Palestinian."
