St. Andrew's DaySt. Andrew's Day is the feast of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on the 30th of November.
Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official National Day. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated St Andrew's Day as an official Bank Holiday. If 30 November falls on a weekend, the next Monday is a bank holiday instead. Although it is a bank holiday, banks are not required to close and employers are not required to give their employees the day off as a holiday. In Scotland, and many countries with Scottish connections, St Andrew's Day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food, music and dance. Schools across Scotland hold special St Andrew's Day events and activities including art shows, Scottish country dancing, lunchtime ceilidhs, dance festivals, storytelling, reciting and writing poems, writing tall tales, cooking traditional Scottish meals, and bagpipe-playing. In Scotland the day is also seen as the start of a season of Scottish winter festivals encompassing St Andrew's Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. |