Saint Andrew (Andrii Pervozvannyi) was from Bethsaida of Galilee; celebrated December 13; he was the son of Jonas and the brother of Peter the Apostle. He had first been a disciple of John the Baptist; afterwards, on hearing the Baptist's witness concerning Jesus, when he pointed Him out with his finger and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1.29,36), he straightway followed Christ, and became His first disciple; wherefore he is called the First-called of the Apostles. After the Ascension of the Saviour, he preached in various lands; and having suffered many things for His Name's sake, he died in Patras of Achaia, where he was crucified on a cross in the shape of an "X," the first letter of "Christ" in Greek; this cross is also the symbol of Saint Andrew.

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Saint Andrew went to the Eastern lands preaching the Word of God. He went through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, he reached the River Danube, went along the coast of the Black Sea, through Crimea, the Black Sea region and along the River Dniepr he climbed to the place where the city of Kiev now stands.

He stopped overnight on the hills of Kiev. Rising in the morning, he said to those disciples that were with him: “See these hills? Upon these hills shall shine forth the beneficence of God, and there will be a great city here, and God shall raise up many churches.”

On his journeys the First-Called Apostle endured many sufferings and torments from pagans. The final city to which the Apostle came was the city of Patra, where he suffered martyrdom.

Icon of the Feast

St Andrew the Apostle icon depicts the saint holding a large cross in his hands, which, according to the Holy Scripture, symbolizes the cross on which he was crucified.

Folk Traditions and Customs

St. Andrew’s Day was celebrated by our ancestors with fortune-telling and parties where pancakes and pastries were used for games which were supposed to help girls find a husband. It was also a time for mischievous pranks such as putting a plough on a house roof or taking a gate off its hinges. This holiday absorbed pre-Christian traditions connected with courtship and marriage. St. Andrew was considered to be the patron saint of the young people.

The Feast Day of St. Andrew was called vechornytsy because it was held in the evening. Young men and girls usually played a game called kalyta. The name of the game coincides with the word for a flat dry bread called kalyta. It had a hole in the centre and was decorated with poppy seeds, dried cherries or raisins. Then it was smeared with honey and hung in the middle of the house.

Legacy

St Andrew is the patron saint of several countries and cities including: Barbados, Romania, Scotland, Ukraine, Sarzana, Pienza, and Amalfi in Italy, Esqueira in Portugal, Luga in Malta, Paranaque in the Philippines and Patras in Greece. He was also the patron saint of Prussia and the order of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He is considered the founder and the first bishop of the Church of Byzantium and is consequently the patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.