april 23rd - saint george's day (dia de são jorge) is a religious holiday celebrated around the world to remember the roman soldier who converted to christianity, slew a terrible dragon and died defying then emperor diocletian.

with the mix of african and european cultures in brazil, saint george has become a combination of ogum, one of the umbanda religion's gods and the christian traditional ideal of saint george, since both were men who were mighty warriors and protectors of the oppressed and weak, and it helped disguise the practice of the forbidden religion.

he is the unofficial patron saint of rio de janeiro and is honored by eating beans (feijão) and cassavea (aipim), visiting a umbanda house, or obtaining a talisman (patuá) blessed by ogum.