Feast of St. Margaret Traditions

[Macdonde]

Anyone planning on wearing the kilt tomorrow for the Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland?

Also, I was wondering if anyone knows of any Scottish traditions around St. Margaret's day?

I hadn't heard of any, but you never know...

--Macdonde

[Father Bill]

Nothing about wearing kilts or anything like that, but since you ask about traditions, here's the backgrounder:

Saint Margaret of Scotland
Also known as

Margaret of Wessex

Memorial

16 November formerly 10 June
16 June in Scotland

Profile

Granddaughter of King Edmund Ironside of England. Great-niece of Saint Stephen of Hungary. Born in Hungary while her family was in exile due to the Danish invasion of England, she still spent much of her youth in the British Isles. While fleeing the invading army of William the Conqueror in 1066, her family’s ship wrecked on the Scottish coast. They were assisted by King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland, whom Margaret married in 1070. Queen of Scotland. They had eight children including Saint Maud, wife of Henry I, and Saint David of Scotland. Margaret founded abbeys and used her position to work for justice and improved conditions for the poor.

Born

c.1045 in Hungary

Died

16 November 1093 at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, four days after her husband and son died in defense of the castle buried in front of the high altar at Dunfermline, Scotland relics later removed to a nearby shrine the bulk of her relics were destroyed in stages during the Protestant Reformation and the French Revolution

Canonized

1251 by Pope Innocent IV

Patronage

against the death of children for learning parents of large families queens widows — Dunfermline, Scotland Scotland

Representation

queen dispensing gifts to the poor, often while carrying a black cross

[Jock Scot]

I suspect very few in Scotland would know of the significance of St. Margaret, yet alone think about celebrating the date even if, by some fluke, they happened to be aware of it. Why on earth would anyone want to don the kilt especially for the day?

[Macdonde]

I suppose those of us who are outside of Scotland probably take such days more (overly?) seriously, because they form a connection to our Scots ancestry.

I usually wear a kilt on significant days in Scottish history, with St. Margaret and St. Andrew being chief among them. It gives me a chance to tell people about the day when they ask me "Why are you wearing your kilt?"

[macmanjim]

I suppose those of us who are outside of Scotland probably take such days more (overly?) seriously, because they form a connection to our Scots ancestry.

I suppose that will happen to the US some day.

[jhockin]

I suspect very few in Scotland would know of the significance of St. Margaret, yet alone think about celebrating the date even if, by some fluke, they happened to be aware of it. Why on earth would anyone want to don the kilt especially for the day?

I wonder if it might be better known by Scots who are Catholic?

[Father Bill]

I wonder if it might be better known by Scots who are Catholic?

...or Episcopal

...or religious of any denomination.

Now, let's start being careful about leaving religion off of our site.

[Damion]

...or Episcopal

...or religious of any denomination.

Now, let's start being careful about leaving religion off of our site.

Ignoring the St Andrew's cross at the top of the page...

She doesn't seem to have had much of a following in the Gaelic parts of Scotland. She was more an agent of anglicising the court and church.

[Jock Scot]

I wonder if it might be better known by Scots who are Catholic?

I am afraid that I have no idea.

[CollinMacD]

As a Roman Catholic Scot, who attended twelve years of parochial school, yes I am very aware of St. Margaret's Feast day, and it was noted as a prominent day while I attended Catholic School. St. Margaret, St. Thomas, St. Bridget, St. Maura (younger sister of St. Bridget) St. Fergus, St. Ebba, St. Blane, St. Andrew, St. David, (St. Margaret's younger bother), St. Patrick, and of course the entire month of May (Mary's Month which has the May Day Procession honor Mary), all considered to be the prominent days to honor Saints at the school I attended in the Boston area, St. Mary's. The school and church was Irish/Scottish, in the Boston area, so no doubt, these were considered important feast days of these Saints.

There were many more who moved Scotland from pagan to Catholic, but too many to post, I posted the most famous of all of them, many were monks, or missionaries, mainly from Ireland, France, and eastern Europe.

Hope this helps... Cheers.