St. Andrew's Day is a celebration of Andrew the Apostle who was one of Jesus Christ's disciples and is a patron saint of Greece, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Cyprus, and Scotland (amongst others).
Although St Andrew's day (30th of November) is celebrated in many countries around the world, festivities are most prevalent in Scotland and Eastern Europe.
In Scotland, it's all about feasting and dancing. In eastern parts of Europe, it comes down to fortune-telling/predicting the future. Back in the day, all the traditions were treated with incredible seriousness, today they're usually considered to be a harmless party-fun.
Popular St. Andrew's Day traditions:
Wax pouring.
Pouring hot wax (preferably straight from the long, thin candle) through a skeleton key (or mock key made from tin foil) into the bowl filled with cold water. You should slowly pour the wax (roughly aiming at the same spot) and watch inconspicuous shapes forming in the water. You can take cooled-down pieces of wax and use a table lamp or flashlight to cast their shadows onto a nearby wall. Silhouettes you see are your predictions for the future.
Old-timey traditions and fortune-telling for single ladies/unmarried women:
Pins through the heart.
Writing different men's names on a medium-sized, heart-shaped piece of paper (on one side) and then using pins to puncture through the sheet (on the blank side). The name of your future husband is the name your pin went through or was the closest to.
Alternatively, writing men names on small pieces of paper and throwing them into a bowl. The name you randomly draw is the name of your future love interest.
Shoe race.
Placing single ladies' shoes in the straight line in the hallway. Then repeatedly putting one in front of the other until one of them reaches the front door. The owner of the shoe will get married first.
Have fun fortune-telling this St. Andrew's Day!
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