What is St. Andrew's Day?

St. Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew, and is normally celebrated on the 29th or 30th November. 

While St. Andrew's Day is more commonly associated with Scotland, Saint Andrew himself is the patron saint of a number of countries, including Greece, Romania, Russia, Poland and Ukraine, plus more!

In Scotland, St. Andrew's Day is a national day, and an official bank holiday. Did you know that St. Andrew's day is also a national holiday in Romania?

Celebrating St. Andrew's Day in Scotland

In Scotland, and many other countries that have Scottish associations, St. Andrew's day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture and traditional Scottish food, music and dance. 

You'll often find schools across the country holding special St. Andrew's Day events and activities, varying from art shows, Scottish country dancing, dance festivals, storytelling, poetry, bagpipe-playing and much more. 

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You might also be interested in:

• What is it like to live as an expat in Scotland?
• Check out our country guides
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Whatever your plans for celebrating St. Andrew's Day, there's no doubt you should prepare for a lively programme of events happening around the date that will feature everything Scottish!

Facts About Saint Andrew

1. It is believed that Saint Andrew was a Galilean fisherman before he and his brother became disciples of Jesus Christ
2. He was crucified by the Romans on an X-shaped cross in Greece, later his remains were moved to southern Italy
3. Legend says that a Greek monk was ordered to take relics of Saint Andrew to "the ends of the earth" for safe keeping, and landed on the cost of Fife, which is now known as St. Andrews
4. The Saltire, or St. Andrew's Cross, was adopted as the national emblem and flag of Scotland
5. Saint Andrew was recognised as the official patron saint of Scotland way back in 1320
6. Remnants of the cross he was crucified on remain in the St. Andrew's Cathedral Patras in Greece