Today is St. Andrew’s Day, a day to recognise the patron saint of Scotland – he’s also the patron saint of Romania, Greece, Russia, Ukraine and Poland!
Born in Israel, Christianity tells that St Andrew was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. While he never actually set foot in Scotland, many people believe he became the patron saint because of a dream.
When King Angus of Scotland was preparing for a battle against the English St. Andrew appeared to him in his dream promising victory. An ‘X’ also appeared in the sky; the symbol of St. Andrew. King Angus promised to make St. Andrew the patron saint of Scotland if they won their battle; which they did! That’s why there’s an ‘X’ on the Scottish flag – it’s the symbol of St Andrew.
An official holiday day in Scotland, St. Andrews day is celebrated with a special type of party called a ceilidh – pronounced “kay-lee” – where people enjoy Scottish country dancing, as well as traditional food such as cullen skink – which is a type of fish soup.
Happy St. Andrew’s Day to colleagues celebrating!