St. Andrew's Day

St. Andrew's Day is a statutory Bank Holiday in Scotland commemorating Scotland's patron saint. St. Andrew's Day is marked on 30th November every year. If that date is on the weekend, the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday takes place on the following Monday 1st or 2nd December.

In Edinburgh, St. Andrew's Day marks the beginning of the Edinburgh Winter Festivals season, which includes a variety of events around Christmas and Hogmanay. It also marks the beginning in 2008 and end in 2009 of Scotland's Homecoming, the government sponsored year of festive events marking the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth.

The St. Andrew's Day celebrations usually feature a range of free events in Edinburgh - dubbed the St. Andrew's Do

Background to the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday

The SNP led Scottish Government passed the St Andrew's Day Holiday (Scotland) Bill on the Eve of St. Andrew's Day in 2006 following much debate about whether St. Andrew's day should be made a national holiday.

In what was seen a compromise solution the Bill added a bank holiday on 30th November or the Monyday after, if St. Andrew's Day falls on a weekend. Employers are not obliged to give their employees time off.