On November 30th, Saint Andrew is honoured in many parts of the world. He is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia. Andrew was a simple fisherman who lived with his brother Peter in Galilee. One day a man named Jesus came to him and his brother and asked them to follow Him – “I will make you fishers of men,” Jesus promised them. So the two men put down their nets and followed Jesus. Because Andrew was probably the first of the apostles, he is often spoken of as “The First-Called”. Jesus commanded His apostles to “go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Andrew did exactly as he was asked – he preached in Greece and even traveled into Russia. But Andrew angered the Romans by talking about Jesus and His message. Finally, the Romans crucified him on an X-shaped cross (a “saltire cross”). This kind of cross is called the cross of Saint Andrew. It appears on the flags of Scotland and Great Britain. Today there are still Saint Andrew societies in almost every part of the world. These groups work to help the poor and needy. Each year the groups hold great banquets on the last day of November – the feast of Saint Andrew. Some peculiar superstitions have attached themselves to Saint Andrew's feast day. An old German tradition says that single women who wish to marry should ask for Saint Andrew's help on the Eve of his feast, then sleep naked that night; they will see their future husbands in their dreams.

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Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.
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