Patron saints and their days
Study note
Each country of the UK has its own patron saint, and each saint has a national day. Learning both the saint and the date for each nation is a reliable way to pick up marks, because these facts come up frequently.
The four patron saints and their days are: St David for Wales, on 1 March; St Patrick for Northern Ireland, on 17 March; St George for England, on 23 April; and St Andrew for Scotland, on 30 November. A simple way to remember the order through the year is David first, then Patrick, then George, with Andrew last in November.
The test often pairs a saint with the wrong country, so keep them straight. St David belongs to Wales, not Scotland, and St Andrew, not St George, is the patron saint of Scotland. The two saints' days that fall in March are St David's, on 1 March, and St Patrick's, on 17 March.
Memory tip: David's the early bird (1 March), then Patrick (17 Mar), George (23 Apr), Andrew last (30 Nov).
Practise this topic
Question 1 of 11
Who is the patron saint of Scotland?
Show all questions and answers for Patron saints and their days(11 questions with explanations)
Patron saints and their days: questions, answers and explanations
1. Who is the patron saint of Scotland?
- St Andrew
- St David
- St George
- St Patrick
Correct answer: St Andrew
St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland; his day is 30 November.
2. On which date is St George's Day celebrated?
- 30 November
- 23 April
- 1 March
- 17 March
Correct answer: 23 April
St George is the patron saint of England, celebrated on 23 April.
3. St David is the patron saint of which country?
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- England
- Wales
Correct answer: Wales
St David is the patron saint of Wales; St David's Day is 1 March.
4. Select the TWO patron saints whose national days fall in March.
- St Patrick
- St David
- St George
- St Andrew
Correct answer: St Patrick and St David
St David's Day is 1 March and St Patrick's Day is 17 March. George is in April, Andrew in November.
5. Who is the patron saint of England?
- St Andrew
- St George
- St David
- St Patrick
Correct answer: St George
St George is the patron saint of England; his day is 23 April.
6. On which date is St Andrew's Day celebrated?
- 1 March
- 30 November
- 17 March
- 23 April
Correct answer: 30 November
St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day, is on 30 November.
7. Of which country, with its national day on 17 March, is St Patrick the patron saint?
- Scotland
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Wales
Correct answer: Northern Ireland
St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland (and Ireland); his day is 17 March.
8. St David's Day, the national day of Wales, is celebrated on 1 March.
- True
- False
Correct answer: True
True. St David's Day is 1 March.
9. St Patrick is the patron saint of which country?
- Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- England
Correct answer: Northern Ireland
St Patrick is the patron saint associated with Northern Ireland and Ireland.
10. Which statement is correct?
- St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland
- St George is the patron saint of Scotland
Correct answer: St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland
St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. St George is the patron saint of England.
11. Which of these patron saint pairings is NOT correct?
- St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland
- St George is the patron saint of England
- St David is the patron saint of Scotland
- St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland
Correct answer: St David is the patron saint of Scotland
St David is the patron saint of Wales, not Scotland. Scotland's patron saint is St Andrew.
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