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St. Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on the 30th of November. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day (Scots: Saunt Andra's Day, Scottish Gaelic: Là Naomh Aindrea ) is Scotland's official national day. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated St Andrew's Day as an official bank holiday.

The celebration of St Andrew as a national festival is thought to originate from the reign of Malcolm III ( ). But it is only in more recent times that the 30 November has been given national holiday status.

St Andrew's Day is an official flag day in Scotland. The Scottish Government's flag-flying regulations state that the Flag of Scotland (the Saltire or Saint Andrew's Cross) shall fly on all its buildings with a flagpole.

In Scotland, and many countries with Scottish connections, St Andrew's Day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food, music and dance. Schools across Scotland hold special St Andrew's Day events and activities including art shows, Scottish country dancing, lunchtime ceilidhs, dance festivals, storytelling, reciting and writing poems, writing tall tales, cooking traditional Scottish meals, and bagpipe-playing. In Scotland the day is also seen as the start of a season of Scottish winter festivals encompassing St Andrew's Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. [7] In Edinburgh, there is a week of celebrations, concentrating on musical entertainment and traditional ceilidh dancing. A ceilidh is a social event with couples dancing in circles or sets (groups of eight people). In Glasgow city center, a large shindig, or party, with traditional music and a ceilidh are held. In Dumfries, songs are performed in the Burn's night tradition. [7]

St Andrew’s Day Menu Celebrate with a traditional Scottish dinner for family and friends and choose from recipes created by Andrew Fairlie, chef at the world famous Gleneagles Hotel and Adam Newth, Young Scottish Chef of the Year. cullen skink Crusted haddock, sun-blushed tomato couscous, buckies, an Arbroath Smokie and shaved fennel salad Smoked haddock bake Roast shoulder of lamb with potato and onion Spiced winter fruit served with creamed vanilla rice pudding

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