Patron saints & national days of the UK

Last reviewed 4 September 2026 · Reviewed by the BritainTest editorial team

The four patron saints of the UK are St George (England, 23 April), St Andrew (Scotland, 30 November), St David (Wales, 1 March) and St Patrick (Northern Ireland, 17 March). A patron saint is a saint seen as the special protector of a country, and each nation celebrates its saint's day. This is a small, high-value topic: the test often asks you to match a saint, a nation and a date. This page is part of our modern society study notes.

Key facts

These days are marked with parades, church services and celebrations. Not all of them are public holidays: St Andrew's Day is an official holiday in Scotland and St Patrick's Day is one in Northern Ireland, while St George's Day and St David's Day are celebrated but are not bank holidays.

What each saint is known for

• St George is the patron saint of England. The legend of St George and the dragon is well known, and his red cross on a white background is the flag of England.
• St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. His flag, a white diagonal cross (the saltire) on a blue background, is the flag of Scotland.
• St David is the patron saint of Wales. St David's Day is widely celebrated, and people may wear a daffodil or a leek, two national symbols of Wales.
• St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland (and of Ireland as a whole). St Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of Irish heritage around the world.

Three of the four saints' crosses (St George, St Andrew and St Patrick) combine in the Union Flag, which our Union Flag guide explains in full.

What to remember for the test

• St George: England, 23 April.
• St Andrew: Scotland, 30 November.
• St David: Wales, 1 March.
• St Patrick: Northern Ireland, 17 March.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland have an official holiday on their saint's day; England and Wales do not.

Practise this topic

Test yourself on the patron saints in the real format, then reread anything you miss. The wider festivals of the year are covered in our festivals and bank holidays guide.

What are the UK patron saints days?

The four UK patron saints days are St David's Day for Wales on 1 March, St Patrick's Day for Northern Ireland on 17 March, St George's Day for England on 23 April, and St Andrew's Day for Scotland on 30 November. A patron saint is a saint seen as the special protector of a country, and each nation celebrates its designated saint's day. Between them, the four dates cover every nation in the UK. Two fall in March, with the others in April and November. If you're revising for the Life in the UK Test, learn each pairing as one set: the saint, the nation and the date.

How patron saints days are celebrated across the UK

Patron saints days are celebrated across the UK, but not all of them are public holidays. St Andrew's Day is an official holiday in Scotland, and St Patrick's Day is a public holiday in Northern Ireland. St George's Day in England and St David's Day in Wales are celebrated too, but neither is a bank holiday. Each nation celebrates its saint's day either way, but only two of the four come with a holiday attached. That split matters when you're planning around these dates. If you're preparing for the Life in the UK Test, keep the split clear in your head: Scotland and Northern Ireland each mark their saint's day with a public holiday, while England and Wales celebrate theirs without one.

What each saint is known for

Each patron saint is known as the special protector of their respective nation, and each is tied to national symbols that people recognise at a glance. St George is the patron saint of England, and St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. Each figure anchors their country's identity in that protective role. A patron saint is a saint seen as the special protector of a country, and the symbols make that role visible. St George's cross, a red cross on a white background, is not only the saint's emblem: when you see that design, you're looking at the flag of England. When you're revising for the Life in the UK Test, hold each saint together with its nation and its symbols. The protector role, the country and the emblem reinforce one another, and that makes the whole topic easier to remember.