Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated on 30 November in remembrance of Scotland’s eponymous patron saint. Patron Saints are said to be protectors and Saint Andrew was known for always helping the less fortunate. The flag of Scotland, the St Andrew’s Cross, was chosen in honour of him.
History
Born in a place which is currently a part of Israel between 5 AD and 10 AD, St Andrew was believed to be one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. It is also believed that he was the brother of Saint Peter, the founder of the Church, and this made it easy for the Scots to appeal to the Pope for protection against the English.
Legend has it that in 312 AD Roman Emperor Constantine the Great saw the symbol X P, which is the Greek symbol for the first two letters of Christ, in his dream on the night of a battle. The Emperor ordered his troops to hold the Christ's Cross in front of the troops. The Romans won the war.
According to some beliefs, a similar incident occurred 500 years later when King Agnus, who faced a large army of Saxons, saw a dream with a message that he would see a cross in the sky and defeat his rivals. King Agnus saw the Saltire Cross in the sky the next morning and from that day Saint Andrew and the Saltire Cross were chosen as the national symbol for Scotland.
Significance
Saint Andrew was known for always extending help to those who were in need. Inspired by the apostle, Scotland carries the tradition of welcoming people and is home to more than 5,600 social enterprises. The people of Scotland believe in working to make the world a better place for everyone. The St Andrew’s Society of Charleston is the oldest Scottish society that works to uplift the condition of widows and orphans.
The St Andrew’s Society of the State of New York was also founded in 1756 and carries out charitable work to help the old and needy.
Celebrations
This day marks the starts of Scotland’s Winter Festival and people come together to celebrate Scottish culture through dance and music. A special party called Ceilidh, where Scots perform their country dance is organised on this day.
Traditional food such as fish soup and lamb is made on Saint Andrew's Day.
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