Calendar |
|
|
Today's Moon Phase
Lost Something?
Which Witch?
Using Crystals
|
St. Andrew's Day(00:00 - November 30th, 2012)Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and St. Andrew's day is now an official bank holiday in Scotland. In Germany it is also celebrated as Andreasnacht, where they will say Andreasgebet (St. Andrew's Prayer). In Poland it is called Andrzejki.
There are many legends about how St. Andrew became patron saint of Scotland. One popular belief is that during the eighth century, during a battle with the English, King Ungus* saw a cloud shaped like a saltire (the cross in the flag of Scotland) and declared that Saint Andrew was watching over them and that if they won by his grace, he would adopt Saint Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland. Needless to say - they won!
There are some unusual rituals from around the globe connected with St. Andrew and traditionally performed on his sacred day:
Eastern Block countries
A girl's future husband (these traditions are SO sexist! ;-) ) can be found by pouring hot lead into water, the husband's profession can be determined from the shape the metal forms. Lead is not a good idea, neither is molten metal, so I don't recommend this at all!
Austria
The Andreasgebet (St. Andrew's prayer) is said by young girls on St. Andrew's Day (at night). They will say the prayer whilst nude and will kick a straw bed whilst doing so. This is supposed to have the desired result of attracting a husband. Another spell involves throwing a clog over their shoulder. If it points towards the door when it lands, the girl will marry in the same year.
Czech Republic and Slovakia
Girls would write the names of men they thought may be their future husbands onto little pieces of paper, which would then be placed into seperate pieces of dough and cooked. Then the dough would be thrown into water, and the first piece that floated would reveal the name of the husband.
Romania
Girls (again? Don't guys want to marry?) would put 41 grains of wheat under their pillow before they retired. If they dreamt that someone was coming to steal their grains, they would marry in the following year. Girls may also light a candle that they had kept from Easter celebrations and take it to a fountain at midnight. When the water was well-lit by the candle, they would say a praer to St. Andrew and ask that they may glimpse the face of their future husband. After the prayer was said, the water was said to move, to show the girl the face of their future beloved.
*also known as Óengus mac Fergusa
|
