St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and also of several other countries including Romania, Russia and Ukraine. His feast day is also observed in many churches in many countries and cities, and is celebrated on 30th November each year, the anniversary of his death.

According to the Church, St. Andrew was one of Christ's disciples along with his brother, Simon Peter. Like Christ, Andrew was martyred for his beliefs but Andrew refused a “T” shape cross as he considered himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ. He was nailed on an “X” shaped cross on 30th November 60AD in Greece, and the diagonal cross of the saltire was adopted as his symbol.

Sometime after his death, some of his relics arrived in Scotland, including a kneecap, arm and finger bone.  Fable has it that St. Rule was told by an angel to take some of Andrew’s relics and go west by ship and where he ended up, he was to build a church. His ship was driven ashore in the costal village of Kilrymont, which was renamed St. Andrews.

St. Andrews Cathedral was built in 1318 but both the relics and the cathedral were destroyed in the Scottish Reformation. To make up for this, the Arhcbishop of Amalfi gifted a piece of Andrew’s shoulder blade so that a piece of him would always be in Scotland.

St. Andrew never set foot in Scotland but the Scots have been celebrating his day since 1000 AD. In 1320, when Scotland was declared independent by the Declaration of Arbroath, he became their official saint  But it wasn’t until the 18th century that St. Andrew’s day started to be an annual event.

Different areas of Scotland celebrate it in different ways, but you can rest assured it will revolve around bagpipes and whisky.
I think you have to be Scottish to appreciate either of these. !!

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