One of the cool things we have experienced while trying to live like homesteaders is a connection to aspects of faith we had not realized. There is something about the “rhythm” of farming, when done WITH God’s OG plan. We honestly believe that we as humans can work with God (did you know that the word cultivate literally means that??? – we didn’t) when farming. He has a plan and a rhythm and a way that is best for us and even the earth. My how far have we strayed from this path!
The feast of Saint Andrew is an example of this farming and spiritual awakening. November 30th is the feast day and it is celebrated across the world but I am pulling out a few specific items from my family heritage (primarily Irish and Scottish) below. I think you will notice there the cool connection and why we, at our farm, harvest turkeys, pigs, and most of our beef, right around this time.
But first, The Saint himself – Andrew the Apostle
Saint Andrew was one of the twelve apostles and the brother of Saint Peter. According to the Bible, he was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He became the patron saint of Scotland, as well as Russia, Greece, and fishermen and farmers. His relics were said to have been brought to Fife, Scotland, around the 8th century, leading to the founding of the town of St Andrews (birthplace of golf and I was there (see the cool pic), and his feast day became a key marker in the agricultural year.
End of the Harvest and Turning to Winter
In medieval England, Scotland, and Ireland, November 30th fell near the end of the agricultural year. Here was the reason why:
- Crops were already harvested.
- Animals not needed for breeding or overwintering had been slaughtered (the traditional “Martinmas kill” earlier in November).
- Fields were being manured or left to rest (we literally do this “manuring” every fall for our large garden)
In rural Scottish tradition, St. Andrew’s Day sometimes marked the first day of Advent fasting—a leaner, quieter time that naturally followed the bounty of harvest. There’s a Scottish saying from the 18th century that said “St. Andrew seals the earth till spring” which meant the ground was frozen or “sealed” after his day, ending the farming year.
In Irish rural tradition, St. Andrew’s Day wasn’t as major as St. Martin’s or St. Brigid’s, but folk weather lore associated with it survived:
“If Andrew’s snow be thick or thin, Christmas will slide in.”
Farmers would note the day’s weather as a forecast for the coming winter.
In Ulster and Connacht, farm families sometimes used the day to butcher late pigs or turkeys for winter storing, since Advent fasting was approaching.
United States: Immigrant Farming Traditions
When Scottish and Irish immigrants brought their faith and customs to the U.S. — especially to farming regions in New England, the Appalachians, and the Midwest — St. Andrew’s Day quietly persisted as a marker of rural rhythm:
- In early colonial diaries from Pennsylvania and Virginia, November 30 is occasionally noted as the time to bring in livestock from pasture.
- Scottish-American farming communities sometimes held St. Andrew’s suppers, blending faith and fellowship much like a harvest home dinner.
- Even into the 19th century, St. Andrew’s Day was sometimes mentioned in almanacs as a turning point in the year, similar to Michaelmas.
Scottish Farmer’s Blessing for St. Andrew’s Day
This kind of blessing would have been said at the close of the harvest season, perhaps at a shared meal of oat bannocks (scones), salted fish, or mutton broth. It blends thanksgiving with hope for winter protection.
Blessed be the hand that sowed,
and blessed be the earth that bore;
Blessed be the rain that watered,
and the sun that shone before.Saint Andrew, kindly keeper,
watch o’er flock and field tonight,
Seal the soil till springtime waking,
and guard our homes till light.We’ve labored long through storm and sun,
now rest us, Lord, till work’s begun.
In Highland lore, “seal the soil” echoed the saying that by St. Andrew’s Day, frost had closed the earth until spring. Farmers might recite this before their evening meal or before the first Advent Sunday.
Irish Farmstead Blessing for St. Andrew’s Eve
Irish Catholic families often marked the end of November with a prayer for safety, good weather, and fruitful fields ahead. This version draws on Hiberno-English and Gaelic phrasing still found in oral tradition.
Saint Andrew of the kindly heart,
friend to the fisher and the farmer,
keep watch this night o’er field and byre,
o’er beast and barn and ploughman’s fire.Turn away the storm and frost,
give calm to cattle, none be lost.
Let every furrow rest in peace,
till springtime’s grace brings earth release.And bless, O Lord, the hands that toil,
in faith and love upon this soil.
On our small farm, we are more and more getting into and trying to follow this liturgical/rural calendar. The more we do, the more peace we feel about “doing it right” for the animals and the earth, and in addition, our own health and well-being.
