St Andrew's Day

St Andrew's Day - 30 November 2012 St Andrew's Day is celebrated each year on 30 November and is Scotland's national day. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, as well as several other countries including Greece, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. According to legend a monk called Regulus brought relics of St Andrew to Scotland where he was given land to build a church. The settlement grew into the town of St Andrew's, where the cathedral became a place of religious pilgrimage and the university, the oldest in Scotland, was founded in 1413. The Scottish flag, the Saltire, is based on the X-shaped cross on which St Andrew was crucified on 30 November, 60 AD. An ancient story tells that a St Andrew's Cross was seen in the sky on the morning of a crucial battle between the Picts and the Angles. The Picts were inspired by the symbol and were victorious in the battle. In Scotland, and many countries with Scottish connections, St Andrew's Day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food, music and dance. Schools across Scotland hold special St Andrew's Day events and activities including art shows, Scottish country dancing, lunchtime ceilidhs, dance festivals, storytelling, reciting and writing poems, writing tall tales, cooking traditional Scottish meals, and bagpipe-playing!