St Andrew’s Day
Maybe you’ve enjoyed a whisky down at Scott’s
in the Grund. Or perhaps witnessed a display of traditional dancing
demonstrated by the Scottish Association of Luxembourg. Scotland is a country
rich in cultural heritage with strong links all over the world. This Sunday
marks St Andrew’s day, the national day of Scotland. St Andrew is the Patron
Saint of Scotland and his feast day is celebrated every year on the 30th
November. This national tradition is thought to date back to the tenth century.
Not much is known about the life of St Andrew but it is believed that he was a
fisherman and one of Jesus’ first Apostles. The Romans sentenced him to death
by crucifixion but he declared himself unworthy of sharing the same cross as
Jesus. Instead he was put to death on a diagonal cross. This cross subsequently
came to symbolise St Andrew and was adopted as the national emblem of the
Scots.
But what has St Andrew got to do with
Scotland? Legend has it that the relics of St Andrew were taken from Greece
over to Scotland to the place where the modern town of St Andrew stands today. Another
story tells us that the Pictish King, Angus Mac Fergus, adopted St Andrew as
patron following the appearance of a saltire in the sky immediately before his
victory in battle. Today, Scots celebrate with parties, traditional Scottish
dancing, Haggis, and plenty of bagpipes. Many consider it the start of the season
of Scottish winter festivals which include St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns
Night.
An estimated 1000 Scots live here in
Luxembourg. Their association is called ‘Comman Na h-Alba’ which is the
Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. Formed in 2008, ‘Alba’ promotes all things
Scottish and organises events to celebrate important days in the Scottish
calendar. Every year the British Ambassador hosts the Alba St Andrew’s Day
celebration. You may notice the Saltire flying from flag pole at the Embassy.
Scotland has enjoyed a momentous year. All
eyes turned to Scotland as they welcomed visitors from all over the world to
the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder cup. Not long afterwards, in a defining moment in British history,
and by a decisive majority, the people of Scots voted to remain part of
the United Kingdom. Who would have thought that politics could be more exciting
than sport? St Andrew’s day is an opportunity to recognise Scotland’s
achievements on the international stage and celebrate this thriving nation.
