Svatý Václav - Saint Wenceslas, patron of Czechia

From Wikipedia:

Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav [ˈvaːtslaf]  907 ? – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder.

Saint Wenceslas is the first saint of Czech origin, a member of the first dynasty of rulers – the family of Přemyslids, a symbol of Czech statehood and patron of the Czech country. It is one of the most popular Czech saints, a martyr, a figure whose tradition has played a very important role in the emancipation of the Czech state and the Přemyslid dynasty within the framework of christian Europe.

In 921, when Wenceslas - in Czech Václav -  was about thirteen, his father died.  Wenceslas took over the government and he was the duke of Bohemia until his assassination in 935 (former the year was 929 was considered the proper one) . His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder.

His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.  

The Day of Saint Wenceslas falls on 28th September when Czech Statehood Day is celebrated. On this date we remember  St. Wenceslas, Prince of Přemyslid dynasty, patron saint of Bohemia and Moravia as one of the traditional symbols of the Czech state. 
 On the day of the national holiday is the regular National St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage in Stará Boleslav (town not far from capital Praha where Wenceslas was murdered). Its culmination is a pilgrimage service served by Czech bishops.

Wenceslas (Václav) was considered a martyr and saint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslas grew up in Bohemia and also in England (Carol Good King Wenceslas). Within a few decades, four biographies of him were in circulation. According to the legends Wenceslas was raised by his grandmother Ludmila ( who was canonized in the 12th century) . 

The helmet and armour of St. Wenceslas are displayed inside Prague castle.

In the heart of Prague, capital of Czech Republic, is the Wenceslas square = Václavské náměstí, with the equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslas, a popular place for meetings and demonstrations.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQVUMG6LZGM   carol Good king Wenceslas

The words to the carol were written in 1853 by John Mason Neale but the melody is much older – it’s a 13th-century tune called ‘Tempus adest floridum’ in praise of the spring.

The carol was written for the Feast of St Stephen and it celebrates the long tradition of charitable giving on the Second Day of Christmas.

       Thanks for reading 

                                                                   Margaret