There are many stories and theories as to why St Andrew came to be associated with Scotland, but many of them state that he has been our patron saint since around the middle of the 10th Century!
It is said that the bones of St Andrew were brought to Scotland around then, to the place which we know today as St Andrews, or Cill Rìmhinn in Gaelic.
According to legend, king of the Picts - Óengus II - led an army of Picts and Scots into battle against the Angles in 832 AD. They were severely outnumbered and Óengus II vowed to make St Andrew the patron saint of Scotland if he helped them defeat their enemies. The next day, they saw a cloud in a horizontal cross shape in the sky, resembling the cross that St Andrew was crucified on. This filled them with strength and they managed to win the battle! This is also said to be the reason why our flag is blue with a white cross.
On St Andrew's Day in Scotland, the Scottish Government are required to fly the Saltire on all of their buildings which have a flagpole. It is also a bank holiday, however not a public holiday - so not all employers are obliged to give people the day off!
There is also a lot of folklore about the night before St Andrew's Day. It is said that women wishing to marry can pray to St Andrew to help them find a husband on the 29th of November. They can also see if their prayers have been heard by throwing a shoe at a door - if the toe ends up pointing at the exit, the woman will be married within the year!
Now, we're not entirely sure if we believe that, but it might be worth having a look at our Engagement Rings and mounts just in case, eh girls?
Even if you're not interested in getting married, we've got a lot of Scottish-themed products which would be perfect for attending a Ceilidh, or maybe just to show a bit of patriotism!
No comments:
Post a Comment