Britain | Bagehot

If English nationalism is on the rise, no one has told the English

The rise of English identity is largely myth

Little happens on St George’s Day. There is no bank holiday on April 23rd to celebrate England’s dragon-slaying patron saint. Traditions are few. Morris dancing, an English folk dance with bells and flailing handkerchiefs, is mercifully rare. A politician may post a message against a backdrop of an England flag. Tedious liberals point out that St George was Turkish and dragons do not exist. Beyond that, England’s national day passes with no fanfare. England is absent.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Wot’s up wiv Ingerlund?  ”

From the April 22nd 2023 edition

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