This last Wednesday, November 30, 2022, was the holiday known as Saint Andrew's Day, a day of celebration honoring the Apostle Andrew. A good friend of mine, Chris Rome, lives in Scotland, one country where it is celebrated, so I thought it would be amusing to research and write an entry on a tradition of which he is very familiar. Andrew himself was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, as it is written in the Bible, who gave up his lucrative career as a fisherman to 'become fishers of men' once he found the Messiah. Because of his convictions, when asked to renounce his Savior and refusing, he was put to death similarily to Christ, however, he insisted his crucification be different as even in death he could not come close to the greatness of his Lord. Thus, he was crucified diagonally, like an X, which was later adopted as the Scottish flag symbol, the Saltire, which is the reasoning why in Scotland this holiday is a National Flag Day.
In AD 832, the Scots and the Picts were in a battle against Angles in today's Athelstaneford, East Lothian, when the leader of their army, Óengus II, declared Andrew the patron saint of Scotland should they prevail. On the day of their victory, it was said a X-Cross was visible in the sky, which was taken as a sign of Andrew's blessing and protection. Thus, the Saltire was made the symbol of the Scottish Flag.
In Scotland, Saint Andrew's Day is akin to that of Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland and is an official bank holiday. As well it should be, because traditional celebrations include gathering together to honor Scottish history and culture through parties that extend far into the wee morning hours. In addition, Saint Andrew's Day, November 30th, marks the beginning of the Winter Festivals followed by Hogmanay and Burns Night. In the town of St. Andrews itself, there is a weeklong celebration. Much of this holiday is spent with fine feasts of Scottish foods, such as haggis, consuming large quantities of Scottish drink, such as whiskey, and dancing to Scottish music.
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There are, however, many other countries that celebrate St. Andrew's Day, which are Barbados, Romania, Russia, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine. The celebrations in each of these countries varies and differs from that of Scotland. Barbados honors the holiday as their national day of independence with their coat of arms reflecting that of Andrew's crucification. Romania includes the ancient pre-Christian religious teachings and connects Andrew with the God Saturnalia or Saturn. Also in Romania, as well as Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, and Poland, the eve of Saint Andrew's Day is believed to be the commencement of the highest vampirical activity following until Saint George's Eve on April 22nd. This is also believed to be the night filled with magical ability for young woman to peek into the future to see who they shall marry. Many such ritualistic practices for this include 41 grains of wheat under the pillow before they sleep and if the dream shows the grain being stolen, their marriage is impending. Other practices include the lighting of a candle and taking it to a fountain at midnight to see the face of their future husband, baking suitors' names into bread and whose ever rises is their future spouse, and throwing a shoe over the shoulder and if it lands near the door, the new year will bring marriage.
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