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. What is even more surprising is that the tradition of celebrating on November 30th was not started in Scotland, but by a group of ex-pats in the USA who wanted to celebrate their Scottish roots. More recently, St Andrew’s Day has become more and more special to Scots and starts off Scotland’s winter each year on November 30. People gather together to celebrate St Andrew and share a celebration of Scottish culture, including dancing, music, food and drink, with parties going on long into the cold winter night.