Today, Scots all over the world celebrate St Andrew’s Day.

St Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland, was not actually Scottish at all, but one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, who was chosen for his charitable and ‘saintly’ characteristics. And, bizarrely, the celebration of St Andrew’s Day actually began in the US!

Scotland.org shares the story:

Despite the fact that St Andrew has stood as Scotland’s patron saint for so many years, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the popular celebration of his day became commonplace. What might surprise you even more is that the tradition of celebrating on November 30th was not even technically started in Scotland, but by a group of ex-pats in the USA who were keen to reconnect with their Scottish roots.

It all began with the creation of the ‘St Andrew’s Society of Charleston’ in South Carolina, which was founded in 1729 by a group of wealthy Scottish immigrants. The organisation is actually the oldest Scottish society of its type in the world. They became famous throughout the region for their work assisting orphans and widows in that area.

This was followed by another society, this time in New York, which was founded in 1756. ‘The St Andrew’s Society of the State of New York’ is the oldest charity of any kind registered in New York and was founded by Scotsmen who were looking to relieve the poor and distressed in the town. From these seeds, St Andrew’s societies have spread around the world as Scots have travelled and settled in the far reaches of the globe.

More recently, St Andrew’s Day has become more and more special to Scots and ranks as one of three major dates during the winter period. Starting off Scotland’s Winter Festival each year on November 30, people across the country gather together to celebrate St Andrew and share good times. The day is usually marked with a celebration of Scottish culture, including dancing, music, food and drink, with parties going on long into the cold winter night.

Recipe of the Week: Dundee Marmalade Flapjacks

Try this absolutely delicious flapjack, made with Scottish marmalade – you could even give it as a gift to a Scot (wrapped with tartan ribbon of course!)

The recipe is taken from the Dairy Diary 2019– also a perfect gift!

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