Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.
The "Order of Saint Andrew" or the "Most Ancient Order of the Thistle" is an order of Knighthood which is restricted to the King or Queen and sixteen others. It was established by James VII of Scotland in 1687.
Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.
St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

MAKE ST.ANDREW'S DAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY IN SCOTLAND

Dennis Canavan MSP
St Andrew's Day a National Holiday
Dennis Canavan intends introducing a bill in the Scottish Parliament to establish a St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday in Scotland. Launching a consultation paper on the proposal, Dennis Canavan said:

"The purpose of the bill is to establish a Bank Holiday on or around 30 November so that St Andrew's Day can be recognised as Scotland's National Day and a celebration of Scotland's multi-cultural and multi-ethnic traditions.
When we compare the number of public holidays in this country with other members of the European Union, Scotland is at the bottom of the league. Most other nations have a "National Day" holiday to celebrate their national identity.
At one time, St Andrew's Day was a day of popular celebration in Scotland but is now celebrated more enthusiastically by expatriate Scots and their descendants in countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. If St Andrew's Day was recognised at home as Scotland's National Day, it would probably give a boost to such international celebrations and help to promote Scotland on the world stage."

Dennis Canavan says "My motto is "Put People First" and I use my voice and my vote in the Scottish Parliament to try to build a better Scotland and a better world."

Dennis Canavan had this to say:
"The Executive initiative is a rather half-hearted attempt to celebrate St Andrew's Day. People will have very little chance to celebrate if they have to go to their work.
If Ministers are serious about celebrating St Andrew's Day, they should support my Bill to make St Andrew's Day a National Holiday so that the people of Scotland have the opportunity to celebrate our national and international identity."

Joyce Falconer, the famous Scottish actor currently staring in the BBC Scotland soap, River City, is one of the leading supporters of this campaign to get St Andrews Day designated a National Holiday for Scotland. Joyce has set up this web site to encourage more Scotts to add their names to a petition that can be handed to the powers that be, showing how strongly patriotic Scottish people feel about making St Andrews Day a public holiday in Scotland.