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What does this holiday celebrate?
St. Andrew's Day is the feast of Saint Andrew, celebrated on 30 November each year. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day, although Burns' Night is more widely observed. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated the Day as an official bank holiday.
In Germany it is celebrated as Andreasnacht (German: St Andrew's Night), in Austria with the custom of Andreasgebet (St Andrew's Prayer) and in Poland as Andrzejki ("Andrews").
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Bank Holiday
"In 2006, the Scottish Parliament passed the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007, which designated the Day as an official bank holiday." "If November 30 falls on a weekend, the next Monday is a bank holiday instead."
"The notion that the Day should be an official bank holiday was first proposed by Dennis Canavan, Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West in 2003."However, the Bill he introduced to the Parliament was initially rejected as the Executive did not support it." "A compromise deal was reached whereby the holiday would not be an additional entitlement." "Then First Minister, Jack McConnell, stated that he believed that employers and employees should mark the day with a holiday, but that this should be as a substitute for an existing local holiday, rather than an additional one."
"Although it is a bank holiday, banks are not required to close and employers are not required to give their employees the Day as a holiday."
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Superstitions
"In parts of Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Romania, superstitious belief exists that the night before St."" Andrew's Day is specially suitable for magic that reveals a young woman's future husband or that binds a future husband to her."" Many such customs exist, for example the pouring of hot lead into water (in Poland, one usually pours hot wax from a candle through a key hole into cold water), divining the future husband's profession from the shape of the resulting piece (related divinations using molten metals are still popular in Germany on Hogmanay)." "In some areas in Austria, young women would drink wine and then perform a spell, called Andreasgebet (Saint Andrew's prayer) while nude and kicking a straw bed." "This should magically attract the future husband. Yet another custom is to throw a clog over one's shoulder: if it lands pointing to the door, the woman will get married in the same year." "In some parts of Czech Republic and Slovakia, young women would write down the names of potential husbands on little pieces of paper, and stick these into little pieces of dough, called Halusky." "When cooked, the first one to float to the surface of the water, would reveal the name of their future husband. In Romania it is accustomed for young women to put beneath their pillow 41 grains of wheat, before they go to sleep, and if they dream that someone is coming to steal their grains that means that they are going to get married next year." "Also in some other part of the country the young women light a candle from the Easter, and bring it, at midnight, to a fountain." "When the water is well lit, they say a prayer to St. Andrew asking them to let them get a glimpse of the face of their future husband.' "After the prayer is over, usually the water moves and the young women can see the face of their beloved. St. Andrew is also the national saint of Romanians and Romanian Orthodox Church."
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Other November Holidays around the world
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How can I Celebrate this holiday?
- It's Party Time! - Every Holiday deserves a party right?! So get ready for your next party by shopping for the lastest supplies to make your holday a real hit. You'll find fun stuff for children and adults.
- Send Free Internet Invitations! - If your ready to get together with your friends don't forget to invite them by email with these fun Internet Invitations. They are always fun & FREE!
- Blog with us about it! - We have a blog called "Everyday is a Holiday" so visit our pages and talk with us about this holiday and how you celebrated it. We would love to know.
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When is this holiday celebrated?
St. Andrew's Day is celebrated annually on November 30 every year. If November 30 falls on a weekend, the next Monday is a bank holiday instead.
Observed by
Scotland
Type
Bank holiday in Scotland
Celebrations
Bank holiday
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Tartan Day- celebration of Scotland held in the United States on April 6 annually.
Burns Night- celebration of the life and works of the poet Robert Burns on January 25.
