Patron Saint of Scotland
Posted by Coll Maclean on September 03, 2011 0 Comments
Scotland’s patron saint is of course Andrew, one of the Christian apostles. Not only is Andrew patron saint of Scotland but of Russia, Ukraine, Romania and a number of other countries too.
The saint’s day is celebrated on 30 November, and since 2006 this has been a bank holiday in Scotland with the national flag – the Saltire – being hoisted aloft the parliament buildings in Edinburgh: a perfect excuse for a couple of whiskies!
Remarkably, it has been suggested that the Saltire, which represents the cross on which Andrew was crucified, is the oldest continuously used national flag in the world, having been in use for upto 1,200 years!
So what do we know about Andrew himself? Born on the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret (or the Sea of Galilee as the bible has it), he became one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and may have spent a period of his life in the area now known as Georgia, where it is thought he would have been the first Christian preacher (in that region).
Here in Scotland there is of course the famous and ancient university city of St Andrews. So is there a connection?
Originally called Cennrigmonaid, the burgh of St Andrews was established in the 12th century by Bishop Robert. Legend suggests that relics of the Saint were brought to the area prior to this point, possibly by St Rule. This is the basis of the association between town and historical figure, for there is little or no evidence of Andrew having visited this small Scottish community, so far from his own homelands.
A chance to celebrate
As the national day of Scotland, 30 November is as good an excuse as any to toast the country with a glass of malt. And if you have a Scottish friend or relative living overseas – or perhaps you are living overseas yourself! – why not treat them to something extra special, like one of our dedicated trees?
