Celebrations of all things English are being held across the country to mark St George's Day.
Events include a focus on English food, with London's famous Borough Market making a temporary move to Trafalgar Square.
A patriotic boss is giving his 120 employees a paid holiday, at a cost to his business of £35,000.
Millionaire David Haythornthwaite said it will be a paid day off from now on.
For the first time in recent memory the flag of St George will be flown over 10 Downing Street to mark the day of England's patron saint.
Gordon Brown is encouraging all UK Government buildings in England which have two flagpoles to fly the English national flag alongside the Union flag, said the Prime Minister's spokesman.
Where only one pole is available, the Union flag - which has precedence over national flags - should be displayed.
According to protocol, the Union flag should be flown on the "superior" pole, which is deemed to be the one closest to Buckingham Palace.
The only recent occasion when the flag of St George has been flown over Number 10 was during the 2006 World Cup, the spokesman said.
He confirmed that, following the completion last month of the consultation on flag-flying, Number 10 will in future fly the Scottish Saltire and the Welsh dragon on those countries' saint's days. Northern Ireland does not have an official national flag, and so the same practice will not apply on St Patrick's Day.
"The Prime Minister's view is that of course we should celebrate our Britishness, but celebrating our Britishness does not mean we cannot also celebrate our Englishness, Scottishness, Welshness or Northern Irishness," the spokesman said.
Fortunately, we don't need a national holiday to get good and drunk 
any ol' reason will do 
...... love from me.......to YOU......... 
