Andrew

In the Christian tradition

Andrew is the brother of Peter and one of the first apostles called by Jesus (John 1:40). Tradition holds that he preached in Greece and was martyred at Patras on an X-shaped cross (the saltire). He is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, and Russia; the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican calendars commemorate him on November 30.

Andrew's call in John 1:40 is sometimes described as the "first call": Andrew is one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who first follow Jesus, and he then brings his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. Tradition holds that Andrew preached the gospel in Greece, Asia Minor, and Scythia, and was martyred at Patras on an X-shaped cross (the saltire that gives the Scottish flag its distinctive shape). Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, and Russia. The November 30 feast day marks the beginning of the liturgical year in many Anglican and Catholic calendars, as the Sundays of Advent begin the week following. The name has been in continuous Christian use across the centuries.