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Saint Patrons of the countries belonging to the United Kingdom:

1.    England - St. George (April, 23^,d) - a Christian soldier in Roman army martyred in Palestine (in the territory of present Turkey). According to the legend, he killed a dragon to save a woman.

-    He was accepted as a saint patron in late 13^th cent when king Edward I displayed George 's cross on the royal banners

-    Before that, in the middle ages, England had two other patrons:

o St. Edmund the Martyr o St. Edward the Confessor

2.    Scotland - St. Andrew (November, 30^,h) - accepted as a patron in 10* cent, but was respected in Scotland much earlier. According to the legend, In 8^th cent, during the battle against the English, Scottish king (Pictish actually) saw a cloud shaped like St. Andrew's Cross and he concluded that the saint was watching over the Scots. The king then declared that if the English lose, Andrew will be declared a patron saint of Scotland. According to another legend, the saint's relics were brought to Scotland from Constantlnople in 8^th cent.

- St. Andrew is also a patron of: o Sailors and fishermen o Performing artists

3.    N. Ireland - St. Patrick (March, 17^th) - son of a Roman, probably bom in Wales. He became a monk and in 432 went to Ireland as a missionary. According to the legend, there are no snakes in Ireland because the saint tricked them all in such a way that they all went to the sea and drowned. St. Patrick is said to have used a Shamrock (three-leaved clover) to illustrate the idea of trinity to the Irish.

- He is actually the patron saint of the whole Ireland not only Ul ster.

4.    Wales - St. David (March, 1**) - bom in 6* cent, probably of royal lineage (had some royal blood). Founded many churches and monasteries in Wales & England. According to the legend, once when he was preaching and the people at the back were complaining that they neither see nor hear him, the ground the saint stood on, elevated so that everyone could see and hear him.

-    in a way a unique figurę because, unlike the previous three saints, he is a patron of a country he was born in.

The Welsh traditionally wear leeks and daffodlls on his day.