Who was St Andrew? Google Doodle celebrates Scotland’s patron saint today – here’s what he actually did

Today’s Google Doodle celebrates Scotland‘s patron saint, St Andrew.

The doodle, which is actually made up of a series of small sculptures, was created by artist Peter Lubach.

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Each sculpture makes up a letter to spell “Google”, but is also shaped like an important element of Scotland’s iconography, such as a rampant lion, a thistle, a wildcat and a castle.

Here is everything you need to know about St Andrew himself, and why he is celebrated today.

Who was St Andrew?

St Andrew the Apostle was a Christian and the elder brother of Saint Peter – both became the first disciples of Jesus.

They were fisherman in Galilee, now modern-day Israel, when they met Jesus Christ.

Like Jesus, Saint Andrew was ultimately martyred for his beliefs but is said to have refused a T-shape cross, deeming himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus. 

Instead, he was nailed upon an X-shaped cross on 30 November 60AD in Greece. This is why the diagonal cross of the saltire was adopted as his symbol.

A statue of St Andrew on his X-shaped cross in Aldershot, Hampshire (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

As for his resting place, in a pious fable, St Regulus (later known as Rule), a Greek monk and keeper of Andrew’s relics at Patras, was told in a vision to hide some of the relics until further instruction. A few days later, the emperor Constantine removed the remaining parts of Andrew’s body to Constantinople.

An angel again appeared and told Rule to take the bones he had hidden and go west by ship. Wherever they were shipwrecked he should lay the foundations of a church. 

St Rule’s ship was driven ashore by a storm onto the headland of Muckross in Fife, into the little village of Kilrymont, which went on to be named St Andrews. 

When is St Andrew’s Day celebrated?

St Andrews Day is always on 30 November, so this year it falls on a Monday. 

It has been a public holiday in Scotland since 2006.

When did St Andrews Day become popular? 

St Andrew has been celebrated in Scotland for over a thousand years, with feasts being held in his honour as far back as the year 1000AD.

However, it wasn’t until 1320, when Scotland’s independence was declared with the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, that he officially became Scotland’s patron saint.

Since then St Andrew has become tied up in much of Scotland. The flag of Scotland, the St Andrew’s Cross, was chosen in his honour.

Despite the fact that St Andrew has stood as Scotland’s patron saint for so many years, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the popular celebration of his day became commonplace. Scottish immigrants in the US set up societies to remember him, which have now spread worldwide.