WITH St Andrew's Day just around the corner, people all across Scotland will be gearing up to celebrate the country's patron saint.
Andrew became Scotland's saint all the way back in 1320 when the Declaration of Arbroath was signed.
Since then, Scotland has been part of an exclusive club of countries which have the disciple as their patron saint.
Why is St Andrew the patron saint of Scotland?
🏴Happy St Andrew’s Day from St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh🏴 #StAndrewsDay pic.twitter.com/9Qv0VrpEqo
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) November 30, 2022
Andrew was selected as Scotland's patron saint in 1320 when Scotland made an appeal to the Pope for protection against English incursions.
His position as the brother of Saint Peter, the founder of the church as well as his role as one of Jesus's disciples made him the ideal candidate.
There are also a number of myths and legends used to justify Andrew's special place in Scottish history.
One such story is that Andrew, who was well-known for evangelising far and wide, travelled to Scotland to establish a church in Fife.
Recommended Reading:
What other countries and cities is St Andrew the patron saint of?
Why does Scotland celebrate St Andrew's Day and why is he our patron saint?
When is St Andrew's Day?
St Andrew's Day takes place every year on November 30. This year, the day will be celebrated on a Saturday.
Is there a bank holiday in Scotland for St Andrew's Day?
Yes, St Andrew's Day is an official bank holiday in Scotland.
November 30 was officially declared a bank holiday by the Scottish Government in 2006.
However, it should be noted that employers are not required by law to give employees a holiday on the St Andrew's Day bank holiday.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel