UK Patron Saints & Their Days

Study focus: Patron saints are a memory topic: nation, saint, date, and flag. GOV.UK confirms which saint days are bank holidays on the UK bank holidays calendar.

St David — Wales, 1 March

St David (Dewi Sant in Welsh) is the patron saint of Wales. His feast day, 1 March, is celebrated across Wales with parades, concerts, and cultural events. The daffodil and the leek are both symbols of Wales and are often worn on St David’s Day.

St David was a 6th-century monk and bishop who founded a monastic community in what is now St Davids in Pembrokeshire. He is said to have lived an austere life, drinking only water and eating herbs and bread, earning him the nickname ‘Aquaticus’ (the water drinker).

St Patrick — Northern Ireland, 17 March

St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland (and of Ireland as a whole). His feast day, 17 March, is a public holiday in Northern Ireland and is widely celebrated with parades and festivities. The shamrock is a symbol associated with St Patrick, who is said to have used its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity.

Although St Patrick is closely associated with Ireland, he was not Irish by birth — he was likely born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century and was taken to Ireland as a slave before escaping and later returning as a missionary.

St George — England, 23 April

St George is the patron saint of England. His feast day is 23 April, which is also traditionally considered Shakespeare’s birthday and the date of his death. The St George’s Cross — a red cross on a white background — is the flag of England and forms part of the Union Jack.

St George was not English. He is believed to have been a Roman soldier of Greek origin who was martyred in the early 4th century. The legend of St George slaying a dragon became popular in England during the Crusades and he was adopted as England’s patron saint in the 14th century.

St Andrew — Scotland, 30 November

St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. His feast day, 30 November, is a bank holiday in Scotland. The St Andrew’s Cross (the Saltire) — a white diagonal cross on a blue background — is the flag of Scotland and is one of the oldest national flags in the world.

St Andrew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to tradition, his relics were brought to Scotland in the 4th century. The town of St Andrews in Fife is named after him and is also world-famous as the home of golf.

The flags

Each patron saint has a cross that appears on the nation’s flag. The Union Jack (or Union Flag) combines three of these crosses: the St George’s Cross of England (red cross on white), the St Andrew’s Cross of Scotland (white diagonal cross on blue), and the St Patrick’s Cross of Northern Ireland (red diagonal cross on white). Wales is not represented on the Union Jack — the Welsh flag features a red dragon on a white and green background.

Why this is tested

Patron saints and their days are among the most frequently tested topics on the Life in the UK test. You need to know all four saints, which nation each belongs to, and the date of each feast day. The flags and their descriptions also appear regularly. Confusing the dates — especially St David’s Day (1 March) and St Patrick’s Day (17 March) — is one of the most common mistakes.

Key Facts

• St David — Wales — 1 March
• St Patrick — Northern Ireland — 17 March
• St George — England — 23 April
• St Andrew — Scotland — 30 November
• The Union Jack combines the crosses of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
• Wales is not represented on the Union Jack

Study Note

Dates in calendar order: David Marches first (1 March), Patrick’s parade in spring (17 March), George guards April (23 April), Andrew anchors the year (30 November). ‘Da-Pa-Ge-An’ — the patron saints march through the year.