Fun Facts: St Andrew’s Day
Today is St. Andrew's Day, the national day of Scotland. Read on to discover some fun facts about the day and the Scottish language.
Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. An ancient story says that a monk named Regulus brought relics of the saint to Scotland. The town of St Andrew's was built around land where the relics were kept. The town’s cathedral is now a place of pilgrimage.
The Scottish flag has a white X-shaped cross on a blue background. This is because St Andrew was killed on an X-shaped crucifix. He was killed on November 30th. The day is now a national holiday.
You can also see this white cross (and blue background) on the UK flag.
Many people across the country will be taking part in fun activities to celebrate. These include Scottish country dancing, cooking traditional meals, and bagpipe playing!
Students at our English school in Edinburgh will be celebrating in style. A group will be visiting the famous Edinburgh Castle where they will witness a fireworks display.
Fun Facts about St Andrew’s Day:
- Braveheart William Wallace prayed to Saint Andrew to give him guidance.
- Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Greece, Romania, Russia and Ukraine
- Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated as the national day of Independence in Barbados.
Scottish Idioms:
A guid few: Lots of
A hae nae brou o this: I do not like this
A Scotch kizzen: A distant relation
A while syne: A while ago
Are ye throu?: Have you finished?
When is your national holiday? Are you celebrating St Andrew's Day? Let Kaplan know by posting a message on our Facebook wall.
Did you see any challenging words in the above blog post? Learn their meanings below!
Vocabulary:
Ancient: Very old
Relic: A holy object or something of the past
Pilgrimage: a journey to a religious or special place