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willowbankbear
30-Nov-06, 10:02
We all know that it is st Andrew`s day but does it actually mean anythying to anyone in this country?

St Patrick means a holiday & a wild booze session for millions of Irish & they tend to use any excuse for a party,Should we?

Id prefer it if St A day was in July so that we`d have a chance of a nice day if they ever decide to make it a national holiday but as its in November its more than likely going to be like today-YUK.

What are your views on being patriotic today? I certainly dont feel like it at the moment , but maybe once i return from Tesco I might be;)

Tugmistress
30-Nov-06, 10:22
useless fact ....

St Andrew and his brother Simon Peter were both fishermen before joining Jesus to become disciples. It is believed Andrew was martyred in 70AD at Patras, Greece, by the Roman governor who ordered him to be crucified on an X-shaped cross known as a Saltire Cross.

caithness import
30-Nov-06, 10:45
go to tescos, buy a haggis and some brew.

go home listen to some poetry

eat drink and be merry.

Or go to work and be boring like me!

golach
30-Nov-06, 10:54
Funny thing is I am a proud Scot, but for some reason I do nothing to celebrate Scotlands Patron Saints day.
I make a point of celebrating the birthday of our National Poet Robert Burns each year.
I have worked at a Caledonian Ball in Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms on St Andrews Day, many years ago, this was attended by the nobility of Scotland, and not the Hoi Polloi.
St Andrews day is celebrated more by our colonial cousins over the pond than by us Scots, well anyway enjoy yourselves have a good one:lol:

Rheghead
30-Nov-06, 11:02
useless fact ....

St Andrew and his brother Simon Peter were both fishermen before joining Jesus to become disciples. It is believed Andrew was martyred in 70AD at Patras, Greece, by the Roman governor who ordered him to be crucified on an X-shaped cross known as a Saltire Cross.

Another useless fact is that St Andrew only became the patron saint around the time of the Arbroath declaration of independence. The reason was to install a saint that was a holier saint than St George to currie favour with the Pope at the time as his endorsement of Independence was vital to the new nation. So it was a PR job really and most Scots can see through them.

I forget the original patron saint's name may be an orger can tell us?

dunderheed
30-Nov-06, 11:12
st andrew is also the patron saint of two other countries (greece) and somewhere else which has slipped my mind at the moment

golach
30-Nov-06, 11:22
[quote=dunderheed;166042]st andrew is also the patron saint of two other countries (greece) and somewhere else which has slipped my mind at the moment[/quote
I think its Russia

Kingetter
30-Nov-06, 11:23
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Andrew

Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Romania, Amalfi, and Luqa - Malta. He was also the patron saint of Prussia.

Rheghead
30-Nov-06, 11:44
A quick google has come up with a few Patron saints of Scotland.

St Andrew, Margaret, John, Mungo, Brigid. Take your pick.:confused

golach
30-Nov-06, 12:02
Rheg, I am going to correct you here, the afore mentioned saints you so kindly provided are NOT Patron Saints but Scottish Saints.
With a little help from St Google of the Internet, I also found out the England had two Patron saints St Edmund and St George.
Thanks again Rheg for giving me an oppertunity to get out of my household chores and telling Mrs G that I am too busy researching

newlabeluk
30-Nov-06, 12:04
Since when have .Orgers needed an excuse for a party? Coming from God's own country means we're blessed every day, if only we had better neighbours!:roll:

Have a good day everyone.

peter macdonald
30-Nov-06, 12:38
Margaret herself was declared a saint in 1250, particularly for her work for religious reform and her charitable works. She herself was considered to be an exemplar of the just ruler, and also influenced her husband and children to be just and holy rulers. She was further declared Patroness of Scotland in 1673.

Feast Day: June 10 (celebrated November 16 in Scotland)
She was of course not Scottish but a Saxon She was raised in Hungary and if I remember correctly has a really beautiful chapel named after her in Budapest
Useless historical stuff ....originally pointed out to me by a couple of Hungarian teenagers in pub in Budapest

DrSzin
30-Nov-06, 13:03
Id prefer it if St A day was in July so that we`d have a chance of a nice day if they ever decide to make it a national holiday but as its in November its more than likely going to be like today-YUK.I tend to agree, but I'd rather have it in June because July is holiday time anyway.

Having said that, I quite like the US's Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November - if only because it delays the start of Christmas advertising.

I've been a-googling too, and I discovered that St Fergus was the patron saint of Wick (http://www.cushnieent.force9.co.uk/CelticEra/Saints/saints_fergus.htm). I knew there were a lot of buildings and organisations in Wick named after him but I didn't know he was the patron saint.

Did you know that Fergusmas market was on the 4th Tuesday in November in Wick (http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfieldclub/bulletins/1981/april/markets_in_caithness_old_days.htm)?

canuck
30-Nov-06, 15:08
This colonial cousin reports that St. Andrew's Day has mixed observation status in Canada. It usually involves a dinner of traditional expat Scottish food (including mushy peas) and of course a fabulous ceilidh. For several years we held our "Kirkin' O' The Tartan" service on the last Sunday of November to mark St. Andrew's Day. And always, always on the Sunday closest to November 30 we sang "Jesus calls us, o'er the tumult" because the second verse begins "As of old Saint Andrew heard it..."

Concerning St. Fergus, yes DrSzin you are correct. Fergus was the first Celtic Christian missionary in Caithness. And one of the Church of Scotland congregations in Wick is about to take his name.

golach
30-Nov-06, 16:04
Margaret herself was declared a saint in 1250, particularly for her work for religious reform and her charitable works. She herself was considered to be an exemplar of the just ruler, and also influenced her husband and children to be just and holy rulers. She was further declared Patroness of Scotland in 1673.
St Margarets Chapel inside Edinburgh Castle is the oldest building in Edinburgh built in the 11th Century, and is still a working chapel today, all Scottish service personell can be married there, and now a tour guide joke ( and every Scottish Father would like his daughter to be married there, .............There are only 22 seats) :lol:

oldmarine
30-Nov-06, 21:15
Never gave it a thought until I saw it listed on my calandar.

Sporran
30-Nov-06, 21:33
We all know that it is st Andrew`s day but does it actually mean anythying to anyone in this country?

St Patrick means a holiday & a wild booze session for millions of Irish & they tend to use any excuse for a party,Should we?

Id prefer it if St A day was in July so that we`d have a chance of a nice day if they ever decide to make it a national holiday but as its in November its more than likely going to be like today-YUK.

What are your views on being patriotic today? I certainly dont feel like it at the moment , but maybe once i return from Tesco I might be;)

I think it would be nice to celebrate St Andrew's Day. I've never seen it celebrated in the USA - only St Patrick's Day, and it is a bit of an excuse to party here.


Another useless fact is that St Andrew only became the patron saint around the time of the Arbroath declaration of independence. The reason was to install a saint that was a holier saint than St George to currie favour with the Pope at the time as his endorsement of Independence was vital to the new nation. So it was a PR job really and most Scots can see through them.

I forget the original patron saint's name may be an orger can tell us?

Saint Columba immediately came to mind, and I have confirmed this with a Wikipedia search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Columba). He was born in Ireland in 521 AD and died in Iona, Scotland in 597 AD. He was Scotland's patron saint prior to the battle of Athelstaneford (20 miles east of Edinburgh) in 832 AD. You can read why Saint Andrew then became the patron saint here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athelstaneford). The Declaration of Arbroath came almost 500 years later (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Arbroath).


I tend to agree, but I'd rather have it in June because July is holiday time anyway.

Having said that, I quite like the US's Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November - if only because it delays the start of Christmas advertising.


Perhaps we should switch back to having St Columba as our patron saint. His feast day is June 9th! :cool:

As for the USA's late November Thanksgiving putting a delay on Christmas advertising, I'm afraid that's not the case anymore. Well, certainly not in the State in which I live these days. In October, many big stores had Halloween, Thanksgiving *and* Christmas decor and merchandise on display simultaneously. Talk about bamboozling!!

caroline
01-Dec-06, 01:02
Best way to celebrate St Andrew's Day give us all a National Holiday on 30 November every year.

Gogglebox
02-Dec-06, 03:24
THink i celebrated Pancake Tuesday more
(would explain the screams from my scales)

Cant see this holiday catching on somehow

Although saying that if they can find a hook, look how widely St Paddys Day has become these last few years - -Pure Commercialism and Guiness must rub there hands that the whole world has now decided its almost compulsory to drink Guiness on March 17th

Clever Marketing

Wonder if grouse etc could pull off the same masterstroke!!
Let hope the CU Jimmy wig makers dont succeed!!lol