Story: Public holidays

St Andrew's Day celebration

St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, was honoured by New Zealand's Scots settlers on 30 November each year. Often the local Caledonian society would organise a celebration. This is the toast list for a supper held by the Canterbury Caledonian Society in 1889, and it includes details of the entertainment provided. For 19th-century settlers, who still had strong emotional ties to their homeland, such occasions were important for maintaining cultural traditions.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-C-ASSOCIATION-C-1889

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Public holidays - Celebrating communities', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/32462/st-andrews-day-celebration (accessed 16 April 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 19 Apr 2023