St. Andrew was one of the Twelve Apostles (disciples of Jesus) and brother of St. Peter.

St. Andrew is believed to have died on a diagonally transversed cross which the Romans sometimes used for executions and which, therefore, came to be called St. Andrew's cross.

St. Andrew's Day is connected with Advent, which begins on the first Sunday after November 26.

St. Andrew's Day marks the opening of Christmas Markets, and many Midwinter customs and folk superstitions are also connected to this day.

Around midnight on Nov. 29, the day St Andrew's Day, it was traditional for girls to pray to St. Andrew for a husband. They would make a wish and look for a sign that they had been heard.

A girl wishing to marry could:

Throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoe pointed in the direction of the exit, then she would marry and leave her parents' house within a year.

Peel a whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peel over the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabet, then this suggested the name of her future groom.

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