St Andrew's Day

St Andrew's Day celebrates Scotland's patron saint, Saint Andrew the Apostle. Andrew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and the brother of St Peter (Simon Peter). He was a fisherman from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. According to tradition, Saint Andrew was martyred on an X-shaped cross (crux decussata) in Patras, Greece — he is said to have considered himself unworthy to be crucified on a cross of the same shape as Christ's.

Andrew's connection to Scotland comes through a tradition that his relics — bones and other remains — were brought from Constantinople to what is now St Andrews in Fife in the 4th or 8th century (accounts differ). Scotland adopted Andrew as its patron saint in the medieval period, and by the 14th century his feast day (30 November) was widely observed.

The Saltire — Scotland's national flag, a white diagonal cross on a blue background — represents St Andrew's X-shaped cross of martyrdom. The Saltire is considered the oldest national flag still in continuous use, with records of its use dating to the 9th century. It forms part of the Union Flag (Union Jack) of the United Kingdom.

St Andrew's Day became an official bank holiday in Scotland under the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. Uniquely, however, it is described as an optional bank holiday — employers are not legally obliged to grant it as a paid day off, unlike other UK bank holidays.

Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Russia, Greece, Romania, and Ukraine — making him one of the most widely claimed patron saints in the world.

St Andrew's Day falls on 30 November. When 30 November falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the substitute bank holiday is the following Monday. As an optional bank holiday, whether employees actually receive a day off depends on their employment contract — employers in Scotland may or may not include it.

St Andrew's Day is observed in Scotland only, on 30 November. It is an optional bank holiday — employers are not legally required to grant it. When 30 November falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the substitute is the following Monday.

St Andrew's Day is an optional bank holiday under the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. This means employers in Scotland are not legally required to grant it as a paid day off — unlike the standard bank holidays. Whether you receive the day off (paid or unpaid) depends entirely on your employment contract.

Workers whose contracts specify St Andrew's Day as a paid bank holiday are entitled to the same rights as any other bank holiday under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and Working Time Regulations 1998. There is no statutory enhanced pay for working on this day.

The St Andrews Day Festival in Edinburgh celebrates Scottish culture across the final week of November, culminating on 30 November. Events include traditional music, ceilidhs (traditional Scottish country dancing), food events, literary gatherings, and celebrations of Scottish heritage and identity.

Ceilidhs — traditional Scottish dances involving reels, jigs, and group dances — are held across Scotland on and around St Andrew's Day. Saltire flags are flown from buildings and homes throughout Scotland. Scottish food events showcase traditional cuisine: haggis, cullen skink, cranachan, and Scotch whisky.

St Andrew's Day has become increasingly associated with the promotion and celebration of Scottish national identity and culture in the context of devolution and the Scottish Parliament (established 1999).