Celebrate Scotland with St Andrew
The 30th of November is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland. To celebrate we’ll be hosting a fantastic evening of food and drink, packed with entertainment. Unfortunately this years event is already full booked. However, you can celebrate at your own party with our fantastic range of St Andrew’s Day gifts and tableware.
Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus. St. Andrew is said to have been respo
nsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.
St. Andrew’s bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine to his new capital Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St. Andrew’s remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to protect them and take them to the “ends of the earth” for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew’s tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the known world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo. St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of St. Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.
Perhaps more likely than the tale of St. Rule’s journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a renowned collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at St. Andrews at that time, either founded by St. Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731-761.
In either case, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.
Whatever the truth, this special day is celebrated throughout Scotland in many different ways. To find out about events throughout the country visit Scotland.org here.
Don’t forget – you can always show off your Scottish roots with our fantastic range of tartan tableware, flags, scarves and gifts.
Whatever your choice have a happy St Andrew’s Day!
