You certainly know the famous Irish holiday symbolizing St. Patrick, the hare, clover, and leprosy. But they also have a national holiday in Scots, and today is St. Andrew’s Day.

November 30 is an important day for Scots, it is the day they pay tribute to their patron saint, St. Andrew, who was the first apostle to meet Jesus.

St. Andrew’s Story

Saint Andrew may have originally been an ordinary fisherman before becoming one of Jesus’ companions. Crucified, his remains were carried in a ship that ran aground on the Scottish coast. In a small town on the shores of the North Sea, which has since taken the name of St. Andrew, a cathedral has been built in his honor, containing his relics. The city is today famous for its university where Prince William also studied.

St Andrew thus became the patron saint of Scots, and the white cross on the flag of Scotland represents the one on whom he died. While the day has been celebrated for centuries, it was not until 2006 that Parliament agreed to make it a public holiday and an official national holiday of Scotland. The party is also present in other countries of the world, where the Scottish community is significant in Canada.

Celebrations Across Scotland

St Andrew’s Day is celebrated through several events that pay homage to Scottish culture, and the Scottish flag is flown at half-mast everywhere. In the streets of the capital, you can listen to traditional music or tales, and stroll through the gastronomic markets and their specialties such as the Cullen skink, the famous haggis, crusted haddock and, of course, whiskey and wine tastings. local beer. Celebrations include Scottish Story Telling and Jam House at St Andrew’s Selidh, dance performances, parades, fireworks with the sound of bagpipes. It is also an occasion for some Scots to wear the original cloak and paint their faces blue and white.

Best wishes to our Scottish followers #StAndrewsDay Today! pic.twitter.com/G5q9qBBm28

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) November 30, 2021

St Andrew’s finally marks the official start of the Scottish Winter Festival, Gaelic music festivals, the most famous of which are Hoggman’s, for New Year’s Eve and Burns Night, a January 25 tribute to the poet Robert Burns.