St Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew or Andermas is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on 30 November. Saint Andrew is the disciple in the New Testament who introduced his brother, the Apostle Peter, to Jesus, the Messiah.





So why is he the patron saint of Scotland?

There is no clear tale that answers this question. One story says that in the 9th Century, King Angus in Scotland was preparing for a battle against the English.
St Andrew appeared to King Angus in a dream promising him victory and on the day of the battle, an X symbol appeared in the sky, which was the symbol of St Andrew.
He vowed that if they won, St Andrew would be made the patron saint of Scotland - and that is exactly what happened.
This is why the Scottish flag has the X-shaped cross on it, as it is St Andrew's symbol.





Different regions of Scotland will have specific events and traditions commemorating Saint Andrews. For instance, in East Lothian, the annual Saltire Festival focuses on Scotland’s rich heritage in the arts and sport, with a 10K night run, golfing tournament, crafting workshops, and traditional music performances.

Meanwhile, Glasgow hosts a spectacular torchlight procession through the city’s West End, with all proceeds going to charity as a homage to Saint Andrew’s generosity. Towards the north, the Oban Winter Festival is another annual community affair that celebrates Scottish culture on Saint Andrew’s feast day, with a whisky festival, haggis tastings, and performers singing traditional Gaelic and Scots tunes.

There is a lot of folklore associated with St Andrew's Day, particularly around young women, who hope to marry. At midnight, as November 29 becomes November 30, young woman prayed to be shown signs about their future husbands. They peeled an apple in such a way that the peel remained in a single piece and threw this over their shoulders. The shape that the peel formed on the ground indicated the first letter of their future husbands' names. They also dropped molten lead or candle wax into a bucket of water. The shape that it formed indicated the profession of the men they would marry.





In 2006, the Scottish Parliament declared St Andrew's Day a bank holiday. Although it is not law, most Scottish employers are left to decide whether to give their staff a day off and close for the day. If the 30 November falls on the weekend, staff are given the Friday or Monday off work.

Saint Andrew's Day is an official flag day in Scotland. The Scottish Government's flag-flying regulations state that the flag of Scotland (the Saltire or Saint Andrew's Cross) shall fly on all its buildings with a flagpole. Prior to 2002, the Scottish Government followed the UK Government's flag days and would fly the Saltire on Saint Andrew's Day only. The regulations were updated to state that the Union Flag would be removed and replaced by the Saltire on buildings with only one flagpole.