IT'S ST ANDREW'S DAY

Have a hoolie Scotland!

All the following tracks are by William Wallace Protest Songs who hail from Berkshire but their members don’t. The style is distinctly punk rock, very alternative and Scottish. The videos are amazing!:

What is St Andrews day about?

St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland for well over one thousand years with people celebrating him since 1000AD. He was only made patron saint in 1320 when Scotland declared independence with the Declaration of Arbroath. Since then St Andrew has been honoured in many ways in Scotland including on the Scottish flag with the St Andrew Cross and the town of St Andrews, thought to be where he was buried, being named after him.

The reason St Andrew became important for Scotland was because he sums up a lot of characteristics found in Scots. St Andrew, who was a fisherman, had a humble upbringing and was known though his entire life for being generous and strong. His philosophy was to share everything he had with those less fortunate. St Andrew always took every opportunity he had to help others – and that’s why he was chosen as their patron saint.

He became one of Jesus’s disciples and one of the Twelve Apostles. He was also the brother of St Peter, who founded the Catholic church, so the Scots were able to petition the Pope in 1320 for protection against English kings’ attempts to take over Scotland.

Like many early Christians, St Andrew was crucified by the Romans. He died on an X-shaped cross in Greece, now known as the Saltire or the St Andrew’s Cross.

Duncan Thomson, Brian McCutcheon, John Patterson and Arthur Murdoch, from King of Scots Robert the Bruce Society, hold the Scottish flags (Picture:Getty Images)

It is believed that after his death his remains were moved to Constantinople hundreds of years later. His remains were moved again in the 13th Century to Amalfi in Italy. Most of St Andrew is still there today but bits of him have been moved over the years to Scotland. These include his tooth, kneecap, arm and finger bones, which have been in Scotland now since the 16th Century. His shoulder blade was gifted by the Archbishop of Amalfi in 1879 and Pope Paul VI gave Scotland more bits in 1969. Legend has it that St Andrew’s first bits ended up in Scotland thanks to St Rule or St Regulus, a Greek monk who had a vision in which he was told to take the bits to the ends of the earth for safekeeping. His journey took him to the shores of Fife, which is easy to mistake for the ends of the earth. The town where St Rule landed is now St Andrews.

Quotes, poems and greeting to mark St Andrew’s Day

Latha Naomh Anndra sona dhuibh! That’s Scottish gaelic for Happy St Andrews Day and it’s the perfect greeting for today. Not only can you show off a little patriotism but it’ll surprise a lot of family and friends.

Six quotes to mark St Andrew’s Day

The Jacobite Steam Train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, Highlands of Scotland (Picture: Rex)

1) I’m William Wallace, and the rest of you will be spared. Go back to England and tell them… Scotland is free! – William Wallace

2) If Scotland was independent, we’d be the 14th richest country in the developed world – Nicola Sturgeon

3) Scotland is the best place in the whole world – Gail Porter

4) Scotland should be nothing less than equal with all the other nations of the world – Sean Connery

5) I love Scotland – I was made an honorary Wallace after my work on ‘Braveheart,’ you know. If I have two or three days off, I love nothing more than driving up there and climbing around Glencoe – Brian Blessed

6) I think Scotland could take a stand in a wonderful way, ecologically and morally and ethically – Annie Lennox

Source: Brainy Quote

Three patriotic Scottish poems to share

Scotland fans wearing kilts (Picture: Getty Images)

1) For Refuge – Pippa Long

Use no names.
Roads have been whited out, redacted.
Hone your oldest sense.
Learn the wind,
memorise where it goes bearing your odours.
The truck-stops are roofless churches.

2) Breenge – Stuart A Paterson

This morning, as the 372 shoogled
through Carsethorn, hirpled
wabbit past the kirk and through
dreich smirr hoyed down from
droukit braes above, I saw
a coupit yowe in a kelpit lea,
beelin-eened cuddies lean over a hazelrawed
dyke to lour at me, a fug of speugs

3) The Conversion of Sheep – Huge Mcmillan

When St Fillian first came upon the sheep
they stood with their Sumerian heads
and stared him out,
for it is a fact that though sheep are mentioned
many times in the bible,
it is always in a bad way.

Source: Scottish Poems

Seven Scottish sayings for St Andrews Day

Edinburgh Castle (Picture: Getty)

1) Whit’s fur ye’ll no go past ye – Whatever happens, happens

2) You’re a wee scunner! – You are a nuisance

3) Speak o’ the Devil – used when talking about someone who then appears

4) A pritty face suits the dish-clout – you are so beautiful a dish cloth would suit you

5) Yer bum’s oot the wind! – You aren’t making any sense

6) Ma heid’s mince – My head’s mixed up

7) Yer gettin’ skelped – You are going to get slapped

Source: Scottish-at-heart.com