Celebrating St. Andrew’s Day on November 30th

St. Andrew’s Day is an official national day as well as bank holiday in Scotland to celebrate the feast day of Saint Andrew – the patron saint of Scotland and many other European countries.

Every year, Scotland celebrates St. Andrew’s Day on November 30. Besides Scotland, St. Andrew’s Day is also observed in parts of Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Barbados.

St. Andrew’s Day Celebration

Although St. Andrew’s Day is acknowledged as a bank holiday in Scotland, banks and businesses are not required to give time off to the employees. Thus, it is possible for some people in Scotland to go to work during St. Andrew’s Day.

The Scottish government declared St. Andrew’s Day as an official flag day that every building with a flagpole should fly the Flag of Scotland (the Saltire or St. Andrew’s Cross). Building with more than one flagpole should also fly the Union Flag in addition to the Saltire.

People in Scotland celebrate St. Andrew Day by serving traditional food, playing traditional music instruments (usually bagpipe), and dancing. There is also a superstition that girls in Scotland can predict about their marriage during St. Andrew’s Day. One way to predict their marriage is by throwing a shoe to the door. When the shoe pointing towards the exit, then the girl will marry in about one year.

The superstition about girls’ marriage does not only exist in Scotland, but also Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, and some other European countries.

Happy St. Andrew Day!