Who is considered the patron saint of Scotland? Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle is the heavenly patron of Scotland. St Andrews

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History of St. Andrew

Every year on November 30, Scotland celebrates the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called, which, according to the Bible, was a simple fisherman, but led such a righteous life that he became one of the 12 apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ. Saint Andrew is considered the heavenly patron of Scotland and his name is revered by local residents like no other. It is believed that Russia and Greece are associated with the activities of St. Andrew, where this saint is also revered with special reverence. Historical sources claim that after the death of the Savior, Saint Andrew went to preach in Scythia, then installed a cross in Kyiv and continued to spread the Christian faith in the places where Veliky Novgorod was later founded. Andrew is considered a great martyr, since his death in Greek Patras was violent - in 62 AD. the saint was crucified on an equiaxed cross, the image of which is present on the flag of Scotland and naval banners, where two intersecting lines are called the St. Andrew's Cross. The pagan ruler sentenced Saint Andrew to death, seeing how in his hometown of Aegeates, the speeches of a pious man had a strong influence on people. After one of the sermons, Andrei was arrested and crucified on a cross, on which he hung for two days, all this time bringing the true faith in God to the local residents.

Saint Andrew in Scottish history

According to scientists, there are two versions of the connection between St. Andrew and Scotland. First version states that, by order of Emperor Constantine, the relics of the great martyr were stored in the middle of the 4th century AD. were transferred to Constantinople, but an angel appeared to one of the monks, who said that part of the saint’s remains should be taken to distant lands located in the northeast. On the ship, the relics, accompanied by the monk Rules, were sent far from their first location, but storms and storms led to a shipwreck. Miraculously, the surviving novice retained the relics and landed with them on a boat to the nearest shore, which turned out to be Scotland. Rules landed near the city of Fife, where a small settlement was subsequently founded, which was given the name in honor of the saint - St. Andrews.
According to the second version, The relics of the righteous man were brought to Scottish soil by the Bishop of Exham, who lived here in the 6th and 7th centuries. A cleric called Saint Wilfrid brought the remains of the Apostle from Rome to enhance the prestige of the bishopric.
The Scots themselves claim that Saint Andrew appeared to their king Angus during the battle with the ruler of Northumbria. The Scottish monarch prayed so earnestly that in the blue sky he saw a vision of a snow-white cross. The king won a landslide victory in the battle and made the sign of St. Andrew - a white cross on a blue background - part of the national flag of the “country of the Celts”. The Apostle Andrew was officially proclaimed a Saint in 1314, after the victory of the famous Robert the Bruce at the city of Bannockburn, and since 1385 the blue and white banner with a diagonal cross has become the Scottish emblem and flag.

St Andrews - religious capital of Scotland

Today, St. Andrews boasts excellent golf courses that regularly attract golf lovers from all over the world to play. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims and Christian monks flocked to the city in droves, who wanted to see with their own eyes the place where the remains of the great martyr were buried. Despite the difference in theories about the “Scottish trace” of St. Andrew, one fact has been established for sure - indeed, the first Christian settlements were founded on the site of St. Andrews in the 5th century. All-Scotland recognition did not come to Saint Andrew immediately, due to the fact that in different regions of the country the population chose their own righteous person to worship. The active promotion of the cult of St. Andrew was promoted by the Scots ruler David I, who lived in the 12th century. His ambition was to make St Andrews the center of a local bishopric under the Scottish Archbishopric. Unfortunately, the temple, built specifically to store the relics of St. Andrew, was destroyed in the mid-16th century, after which the remains of the great martyr came to Scotland from Italy for the second time only three centuries later. Today, the relics of St. Andrew are located in two Scottish cities - the capital Edinburgh and St. Andrews.

Scotland's history is one of proud tradition, courage and hardship. It tells the story of a nation whose spirit has fought for centuries against the invasions and oppression of other peoples. And yet the Scots were able to preserve their unique culture and customs.

November 30saint's day celebrated Andrew the First-Called (St. Andrew’s Day), patron saint of Scotland. This is a common working day throughout the UK, but one of the most significant holidays in Scotland.

According to the main legend, Andrew - one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ - was known as "the gentlest of all the apostles." After the death of Christ, the first missionaries - the apostles - began to convert pagans to the Christian faith. Andrew managed to convert the wife of one of the high-ranking Romans to Christianity. Enraged, he ordered Andrew to be arrested and crucified. However, the Apostle asked to be crucified diagonally, and not vertically, because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same way as Jesus Christ.
It is believed that St. Andrew was martyred in 62 AD in the Greek city of Patras. His remains were kept in the monastery until the 4th century AD. The keeper of the holy relics was the Greek monk Saint Regulus. One night, God’s voice ordered him to set off with the relics on a long voyage to the west. He did so and sailed until his ship crashed on the shore of the land that is now called Scotland.

In those days it was a wild land, inhabited by cruel and ungovernable Celtic tribes. The burial place of the holy relics became a place of pilgrimage for all Christians who inhabited Scotland, and over time it was called the city of St. Andrew, which turned into the religious center of Scotland, and St. Andrew himself became the patron saint of the Scots and Picts.
In addition to Scotland, St. Andrew is the heavenly guardian of Russia and Greece. Carrying the Christian faith, the Apostle Andrew preached in Scythia, and according to legend, he installed a cross on the Kyiv hills and reached the area where Novgorod was later founded.
After Robert the Bruce's famous victory at Bannockburn in 1314 St. Andrew was officially proclaimed Guardian of Scotland, and the blue and white banner with the diagonal cross of St. Andrew the First-Called became the national flag of the country in 1385. If you visit the Scottish capital Edinburgh or any of its many villages, you will notice that in most cases, instead of the flag of the United Kingdom, the flag of St. Andrew proudly flies above churches and public buildings.
It is noteworthy that the “Scottish-Slavic connection” made itself felt 17 centuries after the death of the apostle. The Scots played a significant role in establishing the order and flag of St. Andrew the First-Called in Russia, only the Russian banner was “turned inside out” - a blue cross on a white background. And according to the new style in Russia they celebrate the Day of St. Andrew the Apostle on December 13th.

City St. Andrew's is still the center of Christianity in Scotland. It stands on the seashore, with inaccessible cliffs rising above the beautiful sandy beaches. The tomb of St. Andrew is located in a dilapidated cathedral built about six centuries ago. St Andrews is also famous for its oldest university in Scotland and for being the home of classic golf.
Every year, this picturesque medieval town hosts a week-long festival dedicated to the patron saint of Scotland. During St. Andrew's Weeks Many buildings normally closed to the public open their doors, including the University, the Masonic Lodge and the Royal Golf Club. Commemorative masses are held in churches throughout the city. Concerts of folk and classical music, exhibitions of paintings, photography and handicrafts, Scottish dancing and fireworks - and this is not the whole list of festive events. The city hosts a food and drink fair where the best oatmeal is awarded the Golden Spurtle Award.
In some counties, St. Andrew was considered the patron saint of lacemakers. On this day, the artisans ate and drank a lot, went to visit each other, and in the evening they held a masquerade with women dressing up in men's clothes and men in women's clothes.

This holiday is also not complete without fortune telling.
According to tradition, on the night before St. Andrew's Day, girls pray to him for their betrothed. They throw the shoe to the door and make a wish: if the toe of the shoe points to the exit, it means that within a year the girl will get married and leave her parents.
And if they want to find out the name of their future husband, they take an apple, carefully cut off the peel so that it does not tear, and throw it over their shoulder. If the peel forms a letter of the alphabet, then the groom's name will begin with that letter.

Today in Scotland they celebrate a national holiday - St Andrew's Day, the patron saint of Scotland. This date is considered a national holiday, which means there is a great reason to gather friends and family members for a festive dinner.

Millionaire Shortbread Cupcakes that *actually* taste just like the real thing?? We can't think of a more delicious way to celebrate St. Andrew’s Day tomorrow than with this cupcake tribute to everyone’s favorite Scottish shortbread recipe.?

When is St. Andrew's Day celebrated?

St. Andrew's Day is celebrated annually on November 30th. This year it fell on Thursday. Since it is a national holiday, most people got the day off.

How to celebrate the holiday

On this day, parties are held with traditional dancing, flag raising and feasting with friends and family. And they not only remember the patron saint of Scotland, but also try to continue his work. This means that all Scots should help those less fortunate in life by being kind to others.

Who was Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew has been considered the patron saint of Scotland for over a thousand years. He was recognized as a saint in 1320, when the country declared independence with the Declaration of Arbroath. Since then he has been one of the most revered saints in Scotland. The St. Andrew's Cross, depicted on the flag of Scotland, as well as the city of St. Andrews are named in his honor.

Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland because he combined the main features of the Scots. He was a humble fisherman, but was famous for his strength and generosity because he took every opportunity to help others.

He became the first bishop in Greece, for which he, like many Christians, was crucified on the cross by the Romans. Saint Andrew died on an X-shaped cross, now known as St. Andrew's Cross. It is believed that several hundred years after his death, the remains were transported to Constantinople, and in the 13th century the relics ended up in Amalfi, Italy. His relics lie there to this day, although some parts of his body were transported to Scotland, where they have been kept since the 16th century.

According to legend, an angel appeared to the Greek monk Regulus and told him to take the relics of St. Andrew to the ends of the world. Having suffered a shipwreck, the monk escaped off the coast of Scotland near a town that was later named in honor of St. Andrew. Subsequently, the Apostle Andrew was recognized as the patron saint of Scotland.

Saint Andrew is also considered the patron saint of Greece, Romania, Russia and Barbados. He became one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and one of the twelve apostles. He was also the brother of St. Peter, who founded the Catholic Church. This is what allowed the Scots to write a letter to the Pope in 1320 asking him to protect them from the claims of the English monarchs who were trying to seize Scotland.

Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland

Saint Andrew was one of the 12 apostles, disciples of Jesus Christ. And before that, he was a fisherman in Galilee, like his brother Peter.

After the death of Christ, the first missionaries - the apostles - began to convert pagans to the Christian faith.

St. Andrew preached Christianity in Asia Minor, Greece and Scythia.

Roman Kravchuk

Holy All-praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called

erects a cross on the Kyiv mountains

An ancient legend says that the beginning of Christian preaching in Rus' was laid by the Apostle Andrew. Scientists are still arguing about its truth. Tradition tells that St. Andrew preached the Gospel to the Dnieper mountains, on which Kyiv later arose, and installed a cross there.

Then the apostle climbed up the Dnieper, reached Novgorod and returned back to Rome. About the visit to Novgorod in the chronicle there is only one mention of the custom of the Novgorodians to take a steam bath in the baths, which surprised the apostle.

It is believed that in 62 AD. St. Andrew was captured by Roman legionaries in the Greek city of Patras (Patras), and suffered martyrdom on the cross. According to legend, Andrei asked the authorities who sentenced him to execution not for mercy, but only that his cross, intended for crucifixion, should not be similar to the cross of the Savior, since he considered himself unworthy to end his life exactly like his Teacher. Therefore, Andrew the First-Called was crucified on an oblique cross resembling the letter “X,” which went down in history under the name “St. Andrew’s cross.” For two days Andrei hung on the cross, teaching the townspeople the Christian faith.

Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo

The Suffering of St. Andrew

His remains were kept in the monastery until the middle of the 4th century AD, until Emperor Constantine ordered the relics of the saint to be transported to Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The keeper of the holy relics was the Greek monk St. Regulus. At night an angel appeared to him and ordered him to take his relics far away, to the ends of the world. He did just that - he took the relics across all of Europe, to Caledonia, for this was the farthest corner of the Roman Empire. In those days it was a wild land, inhabited by cruel and ungovernable Celtic tribes.

The burial place of the holy relics became a place of pilgrimage for all Christians who inhabited Scotland, and over time it was called the city of St. Andrew (St. Andrews), which turned into the religious center of Scotland, and the saint himself became the heavenly patron of the Scots and Picts. And to this day, Apostle Andrew is considered the patron saint of Scotland, although all his activities took place quite far from the shores of this country.

St Andrews

The continuation of this story is associated with the Pictish king Aengus II. The most famous Pictish king (from the time to McAlpine), Angus McFergus conquered neighboring Dal Riada and for a time both countries merged into a single state.

According to legend, in 832, the united army of Picts and Scots under the leadership of King Aengus was surrounded by an army of Angles under the command of King Athelstan.

Neither the king nor his army were sure of the outcome of the upcoming battle. Angus earnestly prayed all night to God and the saints so that the Scots would be granted victory, and when he fell asleep, he saw the Apostle Andrew, who promised his help. The next day, before the start of the battle, the warriors saw above them in the blue sky a cloud in the form of an oblique cross.

This spectacle so inspired the Picts and Scots and terrified their opponents that the Angles were defeated, and their leader King Athelstan died during the retreat. And Angus II made the oblique cross the national symbol of his country.

But it was only after Robert the Bruce's famous victory over the English at Bannockbarn in 1314 that Saint Andrew was officially proclaimed Guardian of Scotland.

However, it is not entirely clear why in the 9th century King Athelstan from southern England moved north through the possessions of the King of Notumbria to fight the Scots... But one way or another, today nearby, in sight of the battle site, in an ancient building of the 16th century The Scottish Flag Museum is located (the Flag Heritage Centre).

Scottish Flag Museum

Despite the biblical past of St. Andrew, all-Scottish recognition did not come to him immediately, since by the time his cult grew in different parts of the country, the population had already worshiped different Christian saints. In the first centuries, the cult of St. Andrew coexisted mainly among the Picts, although later his image was used by King Constantine II to form a single nation from the Picts and Scots.

King David I of Scots, who lived in the first half of the 12th century, actively advocated for the city of St. Andrews, then an episcopal center, to become an archbishopric of Scotland. The huge cathedral, whose construction began in 1160, was supposed to be larger in size than the cathedrals of Canterbury and York, which lay claim to governing the Scottish Church. Construction took place over 150 years, right up to 1318. Alas, during the Reformation the cathedral was completely destroyed. Its size can be judged from the preserved nave and ruins - its length was 100 meters.

The relics of St. Andrew are kept in St. Andrews and Edinburgh, or at least part of them.

St Andrew's Cathedral in St Andrews

St. Andrew's Day, patron saint of Scotland

This holiday is traditionally celebrated on November 30th. Previously, on the eve of the holiday, girls said prayers to St. Andrew for a worthy husband. Nowadays parties with traditional Scottish dances are held on this day.

According to the main legend, Andrew was the brother of Simon Piter and was known as "the gentlest of all the apostles." After the death of Jesus Christ, the first missionaries - the apostles - began to convert pagans to the Christian faith. Andrew managed to convert the wife of one of the high-ranking Romans to Christianity. Enraged, he ordered Andrew to be arrested and crucified. The order was carried out. However, the Apostle asked to crucify him diagonally, and not vertically, because considered himself unworthy to die the same way as Jesus Christ.

After his death, the remains of St. Andrew were kept in the monastery. In the 4th century AD, the Greek monk Saint Regulus was the keeper of the holy relics of St. Andrew. One night, God’s voice ordered him to set off with the relics on a long voyage to the west. He did so and sailed until his ship crashed on the shore of the land that is now called Scotland.

In those days it was a wild land, inhabited by cruel, unruly Celtic tribes. The holy relics were buried, and this place became a place of pilgrimage for all Christians who inhabited Scotland. Over time, the burial place was called the city of St. Andrew, and it turned into the religious center of Scotland, and St. Andrew himself became the patron saint of the Scots and Picts.

According to legends, in 832, when the king of the Scots, Angus, before the battle with the Anglo-Saxons, saw a sign in the sky in the form of an X-shaped cross on which Andrew the First-Called was crucified. The battle was won, and the image of a white cross on a sky-blue field became one of the symbols of Scotland. In Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, or any of its many villages, in most cases, instead of the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the flag of St. Andrew proudly flies above churches and public buildings.

The thistle flower is the semi-official national symbol of Scotland and is depicted, in particular, on banknotes. According to legend, in the 9th century. The Vikings landed on the east coast of Scotland with the intention of conquering and plundering the country. The Scotts gathered all their fighting forces and took up positions across the River Tay. They arrived in the evening and set up camp and settled down to rest, believing that the enemy would not attack until the next day. However, the Vikings were nearby.

Finding no guards or sentries around the Scots' camp, the Vikings crossed the Tay with the intention of suddenly capturing the Scots and slaughtering them in their sleep. For this purpose, they took off their shoes in order to make as little noise as possible when moving towards the camp. But suddenly one of the Vikings stepped on a thistle. He cried out from the sudden and acute pain. Hearing the scream, the Scots raised the alarm in the camp. The Vikings were forced to retreat, and the Scots chose the thistle as their national emblem as a sign of gratitude for timely and unexpected help.