St Andrew's Day speech template (Scotland, United Kingdom)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
St Andrew's Day is celebrated on 30 November in honour of St Andrew, one of the twelve apostles and the patron saint of Scotland. According to tradition he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, the shape seen on the Saltire, Scotland's white-on-blue national flag. The day is an official bank holiday in Scotland, though not every employer closes. People celebrate Scottish culture with ceilidhs, traditional music, poetry and food, and the Saltire flies on many public buildings.
- Date
- November 30
- Next dates
- Monday 30 November 2026
Tuesday 30 November 2027
Thursday 30 November 2028 - Country
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Tone
- Cultural celebration
- Typical events
- Ceilidhs and dinners, Scottish and St Andrew's societies around the world, school assemblies, community halls, workplace gatherings and embassy or consulate receptions.
- Length
- 180 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The St Andrew's Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 4
Good evening, everyone, and a very warm welcome. I'm {Your name}, and it's a pleasure to host this St Andrew's Day evening for {Organisation}. Tonight is a celebration of Scotland: its music, its poetry, its food and, above all, its people, wherever in the world they call home. - WHO WAS ST ANDREW2 / 4
Andrew was a fisherman from Galilee and one of the twelve apostles. Tradition holds that he was put to death on an X-shaped cross, and that shape became the Saltire, the white-on-blue flag of Scotland. He has been Scotland's patron saint for centuries, and 30 November is his feast day. - A TOAST TO SCOTLAND3 / 4
Our piper, {Piper's name}, will now play us into the heart of the evening.
[BAGPIPES]
Thank you. Now, please charge your glasses and rise. To Scotland, to St Andrew, and to friends old and new. Slàinte mhath! - LET THE CEILIDH BEGIN4 / 4
Please be seated and enjoy your meal. After dinner, {Ceilidh band} will take to the floor. If you have never danced a Strip the Willow, don't worry: our caller will walk everyone through the steps. Thank you all for joining us, and happy St Andrew's Day.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- St Andrew's Day is an official bank holiday in Scotland, but employers do not have to give the day off. If 30 November falls at a weekend, the holiday usually moves to the Monday, so check this year's date.
- Book a ceilidh band with a caller who explains each dance before the music starts. It keeps the floor full and lets guests of every age and ability join in.
- Slàinte mhath is the Scottish Gaelic toast for good health. Practise the pronunciation with a Gaelic speaker, and offer soft drinks as well as whisky for the toast.
- Many guests enjoy wearing tartan or a kilt. Mention it on the invitation as an option rather than a dress code, so that nobody feels left out.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Flag Flying Days 2026 - College of Arms. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
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