The New Murrey and Blue blog

Today is St Andrew’s Day, 30th November. St Andrew was one of Jesus’ apostles. and is also the patron saint of Scotland and other countries like Romania and Greece. His feast day celebrates him as one of Jesus’s first disciples and is marked by cultural celebrations in Scotland, whose national flag is the saltire, a symbol of St Andrew. 

Andrew was a fisherman from Galilee and one of the original twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He was the brother of Saint Peter and is known in the Greek Orthodox Church as “Protokletos,” meaning “the first-called,” because he was the first disciple Jesus called. 

He travelled widely to preach the Gospel, and it’s likely his missionary work took him to Scythia (modern-day Ukraine and southern Russia), Asia Minor, and Greece. He was eventually martyred by crucifixion around 60 AD in the city of Patras, Greece. He is said to have requested an X-shaped cross (a crux decussata or saltire) because he felt unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus, which is why the saltire is his primary symbol.

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of several countries and various groups.

The Countries are: Scotland, Greece, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Barbados.

Cities and Groups: Fishermen, fishmongers, singers, spinsters, and people with sore throats or gout.