St. Andrew's Day

Date

November 30

History

St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day. It commemorates Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The New Testament states that Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. He is considered the founder and first bishop of the Church of Byzantium, an ancient Greek city. Although most commonly associated with Scotland, Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Greece and Russia, amongst others. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated St. Andrew's Day as an official bank holiday.

Traditional observance

Although it is a bank holiday, banks are not required to close and employers are not required to give their employees the day off as a holiday. St Andrew's Day is an official flag day in Scotland. The Scottish Government's flag-flying regulations state that the Flag of Scotland (The Saltire) shall fly on all its buildings with a flagpole. The Union Jack is also flown if the building has more than one flagpole.
 

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