Translated from Greek, the name "Andrew" means "courageous, strong husband." The Apostle Andrew was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee. Together with his older brother Peter, later also an apostle, he was engaged in fishing in the Galilee lake. Andrew was the first to be called by Jesus. That is why in Greek tradition he bears the name of the First-Called.
After the Ascension of Christ, Saint Andrew, like the other apostles, received the Holy Spirit and set off to preach the new faith. He visited many Eastern countries. Saint Andrew traveled through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, reached the Danube, passed the Black Sea coast and, according to legend, reached the place where Kiev now stands. Here he will stop for the night and said to his disciples: “The grace of God will shine on these mountains. The great city will be here, and the Lord will erect many churches here and will enlighten the whole earth with holy baptism."
Tradition tells about the martyrdom of Andrew the First-Called for his faithfulness to the Lord and his Christian teaching. He was crucified in the Greek city of Patras (Peloponnese).
A later legend says that the cross on which St. Andrey was of an unusual shape - not straight, but oblique, similar to the Latin letter "X" (St. Andrew's cross).
In Russia and Scotland, Andrew the First-Called is revered as the heavenly patron of these countries. In his honor in 1699, Peter I established the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and St. Andrew's flag became the flag of the ships of the Russian Navy. The flag field is crossed by a diagonal blue cross - the cross of St. Andrew the First-Called.
Christians - Eastern and Western - celebrate St. Andrew on November 30 (December 13).
In Russia, on the day of remembrance of Andrew the First-Called, according to signs, they predicted the coming winter. They listened to the water: "If it is quiet - a good winter, if it is noisy - frosts, storms and blizzards." In the evening, the girls wondered about their betrothed. Fortune-telling for Andrew's Day is a kind of rehearsal before a big fortune-telling on Christmastide.
On the eve of Saint Andrew, the girls observed the fast, but so that none of their relatives would notice. Sitting down at the table for supper, they discreetly broke off a piece of bread from their slice, put it under the tablecloth, and when they left the table, they took it with them. Before going to bed, this piece was put under the pillow, saying: "Condensed mummer, come to me to eat." They assure that those who made their dreams see their betrothed in a dream.
Promotional video:
From the book: "100 Great Holidays". Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva