What are the patron saints and national days of the UK?

What are the patron saints and national days of the UK?

Each of the four nations has a patron saint, a saint who stands for the whole nation. Each one has a day of their own.

• 1 March: St David's Day, for Wales
• 17 March: St Patrick's Day, for Northern Ireland
• 23 April: St George's Day, for England
• 30 November: St Andrew's Day, for Scotland

How can you remember the dates?

Put them on a calendar. Two fall in March, one in April and one at the very end of November.

A simple hook for the order: the year starts with the two March days, Wales and then Northern Ireland, 1 and 17. April brings England. Scotland comes last, nearly at the end of the year. Say "Wales, Ireland, England, Scotland" and count: 1, 17, 23, 30. The dates rise in the same order as the names.

The two March days sit close together, so many people swap them. Tie each date to its own nation, not just to the month.

Which of these days are holidays?

Scotland and Northern Ireland count their saint's day as a public holiday. In Scotland some businesses and offices stay open, so it is not a full day off for everyone.

England and Wales do not have public holidays for their saints now, but people still celebrate. There are parades and small festivals in both countries.

Celebrations also happen in other places, mostly where many people have Scottish, Northern Irish or Irish roots.

Which flower goes with each nation?

Each nation has a flower, and people sometimes wear it on the saint's day.

Learn each as a pair, nation and flower, on a small card.

Where else do the saints appear?

Look at the Union Flag, often called the Union Jack. It joins three crosses. The red cross on white is the cross of St George, patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross on blue is the cross of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross on white is the cross of St Patrick, whom the handbook names as patron saint of Ireland.

Wales has its own flag with a dragon. It is not on the Union Flag because Wales was already united with England when the first Union Flag was made.

St Patrick was one of the missionaries from Ireland who spread Christianity in the north during the Anglo-Saxon period, along with St Columba. St Augustine came from Rome and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Do not mix up St Augustine and St Andrew. One came to the south of England with a mission, and the other is the patron saint of Scotland.

What are the common mix-ups?

• The two March days. St David is 1 March and St Patrick is 17 March.
• Ireland and Northern Ireland. The handbook lists St Patrick's Day for Northern Ireland, but in the flag section it calls him the saint of Ireland.
• Holiday or not. Scotland and Northern Ireland have it as a public holiday. England and Wales do not.

How do these days fit the rest of the handbook?

The saints' days are one small part of the section on customs and traditions. The same section covers festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Eid and Vaisakhi, and days like Hogmanay and Remembrance Day. See religion, festivals and traditions for the full set.

To fix the four nations in your mind first, read the four nations and their capitals. The chapter itself is at modern society.

Draw four boxes, one for each nation. Put the saint, the date, the flower and the holiday status in each box. Do it from memory the next day. When you can fill all sixteen spaces, try the free practice test.

Check yourself

• Write the four saints, their days and their nations without looking.
• Which two nations have the day as a public holiday?
• Which flower belongs to which nation?