Friday, November 28, 2008

St Andrew's Day




New Zealand is a country of diversed ethnicity. The Maoris came, then the Pakehas meaning foreignors. Among the British stocks are the Scottish. My Sisiter-in-law Karen originally from Christchurch has Scottish ancestry. Dunedin proudly claims to be the the most Scottish city in New Zealand.

New Zealand is one day ahead from and yesterday, we celebrated St Andrew's day with Scottish Bagpipes, Drums and men wearing Scottish Kilts.

St. Andrew's Day is the feast of Saint Andrew, celebrated on 30 November each year. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day,

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.

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/standrew.html

*** A perverbal question: What is underneath that Scottish Kilts? A news broadcaster Tamati on National TV refused to confirm or deny what was under it.***

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