St Andrews Day in St Andrews
St Andrews day celebrations in St Andrews!
November 30th marks the day of St Andrews day celebrations that will be happening across the world! So why not celebrate the in the town that bears the patron saint’s name and head to St Andrews itself? There are many events that are going to be taking place to mark this special day!
So what exactly is St Andrews Day all about?
For those of you who are new to St Andrews day we thought it a good idea to give you a brief summary of why the day is so important to us Scots!
About St Andrew…
St Andrew was a Galilean fisherman before he became a disciple of Jesus. He was crucified on 30th November, 60AD, on an X shaped cross (hence the Scottish Flag) and was recognised as an official patron in Scotland in 1320. Legend has it that relics of St Andrew were to be taken to the ‘ends of the earth’ for safe keeping which ended up coming ashore at what is now known as St Andrews. The relics included a tooth, a knee-cap an arm and finger bones. St Andrew’s became a popular pilgrimage site because of these. Sadly in the Scottish Reformation these relics were destroyed. But, in 1879, Archbishop Amalfi gifted Andrew’s shoulder blade and Pope Paul VI gifted further relics in 1969 to Scotland. These can be seen at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Why we celebrate
St Andrews day is the feast day of St Andrew who became our Patron Saint. Us Scots mark this day every year on 30th November and celebrate our Scottish culture, food and dance. The day also marks the beginning of Scotland’s winter festivals and is an official bank holiday.
So what is on in St Andrews?
Dining delights
Savour St Andrews is offering a variety of food and drink events throughout November. With drinks tastings, chef demonstrations and taster lunches you can sample the delights for yourself! There will be a fabulous St Andrews Day dinner where 6 top Fife chefs and hospitality students are joining forces in the kitchen to make the feast a scrumptious success! It will be held in the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa on 30th November. See last years dinner below:
Street party delights
There is also going to be a momentous street party on the 26th November where you can join a crowd of thousands to celebrate! And what’s more, it’s completely FREE! Listen to the sounds of Donnie Munroe, dance to Skerryvore and hear Caroline Gilmour an up and coming singer-songwriter. The party will be kept going with street entertainers and buskers until the Festive Lights are switched on at 5.345pm. Held in Market Street from 2pm-6pm it is an ideal family day out in Fife! A ceilidh then takes over the street from 6.30pm – 7.30 pm claiming to be the world’s largest St Andrews Day ceilidh!
Need somewhere to stay?
If this has got you warmed up and ready to celebrate and you are looking for accommodation near St Andrews, then check out our fabulous luxury lodges in Fife. We offer beautiful lodges surrounded by rolling countryside that are also ideal for accessible holidays. What’s more, we are only 3 miles from St Andrews! If you want to find out more then please call us on 07840 801114 or email us here. Join in the St Andrews day celebrations!
