Google doodle
Search engine Google is marking St Andrew's Day with an animation of the Scottish flag, the Saltire, in a number of locations around the country Google

Google is marking the national day of Scotland with its latest Doodle.

The search engine celebrates St Andrew's Day on Wednesday 30 November with its animation depicting the Scottish national flag, the Saltire, in several Scottish locations, including Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh and the Highlands.

Andrew was believed to be one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, and was said to have been crucified on a diagonal cross on the orders of the Roman governor Aegeas on this day in 60AD.

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That diagonal cross was adopted as the national emblem and flag of the Scots, and he was recognised as the official patron saint of Scotland in 1320 at the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, asserting Scottish independence from England

The Scottish Parliament made St Andrew's Day an official bank holiday in 2006 to celebrate Scottish culture. It kicks off the Edinburgh Winter Festivals season, which includes events around Christmas and Hogmanay – the Scots word for the final day of the year, New Year's Eve.

More than 40 million people around the world claim Scottish ancestry, meaning that the day is celebrated globally. For his part, St Andrew is very much a global saint. He is also the patron saint of Greece, Romania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and - last but not least - Saint Andrew, Barbados.

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