Saint Andrew’s Day is the feast of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on November 30. St. Andrew’s Day (Scottish: Saunt Andra Day, Scottish Gaelic: Là Naomh Anndrais) is the official national day of Scotland. It has been a national holiday in Romania since 2015. St. Andrew is the disciple in the New Testament who introduced his brother, the apostle Peter, to Jesus as the Messiah. He is the patron saint of Cyprus, Scotland, Greece, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Island of San Andrés (Colombia), San Andrés (Barbados) and Tenerife.
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Andrew the Apostle (Greek: Ἀνδρέας Andreas), also known as Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Saint Peter. He is referred to in the Orthodox tradition as the First-Called (Greek: Πρωτόκλητος, Prōtoklētos). According to Orthodox tradition, the apostolic successor to Saint Andrew is the Patriarch of Constantinople.
St Andrew has been celebrated in Scotland for over a thousand years, with feasts being held in his honor as far back as the year 1000 AD. However, it wasn’t until 1320, when Scotland’s independence was declared with the signing of The Declaration of Arbroath, that he officially became Scotland’s patron saint. Since then St Andrew has become tied up in so much of Scotland. The flag of Scotland, the St Andrew’s Cross, was chosen in honor of him. Also, the ancient town of St Andrews was named due to its claim of being the final resting place of St Andrew.
In Scotland, and in many countries with Scottish connections, St. Andrew’s Day is celebrated with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food and music. In Scotland, the day is also seen as the beginning of a season of Scottish winter festivals that span St. Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. There are one week celebrations in the city of St Andrews and in some other Scottish cities.