This article was updated by the Great British Mag content team on 30 November 2021
St Andrew’s Day is when the Scots celebrate their Patron Saint. To mark the day we have put together a list of ten little known facts about the Saint and the customs around St Andrew’s Day.
If you are in Scotland try them out on the locals to see how much they know about St Andrew.
Did you know?
1) St Andrew is not only the Patron Saint of Scotland but also Romania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Barbados
2) St Andrew never visited Scotland during his lifetime
3) After his death only some of his remains, including a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers, were taken to St Andrews, a seaside town in Scotland
4) It is believed that the Pope made St Andrew the Patron Saint of Scotland because he was one of the first 12 followers of Christ and that his brother, Saint Peter, was the founder of the church
5) St Andrew was crucified by the Romans on a X-shaped cross, which later became the symbol of the Scottish flag
6) St Andrew is also the patron of women wishing to become mothers, fishmongers and singers
7) In 2006 the Scottish government made St Andrew’s Day an official bank holiday, although banks do not have to close and employers do not have to grant their employees a holiday
8) The University of St Andrews gives its students a day off on St Andrew’s Day
9) To mark St Andrews Day the Scottish flag is flown from every public building apart from Edinburgh Castle where the Union Jack is flown throughout the year
10) In parts of Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Russia and Romania, women believe that on the Eve of St Andrew’s Day they will get a sign to show them who their future husband will be and their profession
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Celebrate St Andrew’s Day with the Scots
