Saint Sebastian

Feast of Saint Sebastian, January 20. Patron saint of archers, soldiers, and athletes. He was a captain of the guard in Rome, but when his religion was discovered by Emperor Diocletian, he was sentenced to be shot with arrows. He was left for dead, but survived the attack, and instead of fleeing the city, he confronted the emperor, who then had him clubbed to death.

Saint Silvester

Feast of Saint Silvester, December 31. Because the feast day is on New Year's Eve, this day is observed with New Year's celebrations. In Germany, New Year's Eve is called Sylvester.

Saint Stephen

Feast of Saint Stephen, December 26. Saint Stephen's Day, or Santo Stefano as it is known in Italy, is the same as Boxing Day.

Saint Swithin

Feast of Saint Swithin, July 15. Bishop of Winchester from 852 to 862. According to an ancient legend, St Swithin asked to be buried "where the rain would fall." As his relics were about to be moved on this day in 904, it began to rain heavily and continued for forty days. The legend has it that the weather on this day will forcast the weather for the next forty days, as passed down in the following verse:

Saint Swithin's day if thou dost rain, for forty days it will remain; Saint Swithin's day if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain na mair.

Saint Thomas

Feast of Saint Thomas, December 21. Apostle. Was "doubting Thomas" because of his disbelief of Christ's resurrection.

Saint Timothy

Feast of Saint Timothy, January 24. Saint Timothy became the patron saint of stomach trouble sufferers because he would take a little wine with his food for the health of his stomache. Timothy was the beloved disciple to whom the Apostle Paul addressed two of the Epistles of the New Testament. Timothy was stoned to death on this day in 97 AD by a mob of pagans when he tried to break up their celebration of Katagogian that they were having in his temple.

Saint Ursula

Feast of Saint Ursula, October 21. Patron saint of teachers and youths. Saint Ursula's Day is a holiday in the British Virgin Islands. Her almost completely fictitious legend is as follows. Ursula was the daughter of a Christian British king. She had taken a vow of chasity, and yet against her will she was betrothed to a pagan prince. To avoid war she agreed on condition of his conversion and a delay of three years. She set sail accompanied by 11,000 virgins (up from 11 in earlier versions of the story), and arrived in Cologne, when an angel advised her to take a pilgrimage to Rome. When they returned from the pilgrimage, Cologne was being sacked by the Huns, who slaughtered the virgins after Ursula refused the advances of a Hun prince.

Saint Valentine

Feast of Saint Valentine, February 14. See Valentine's Day.

Saint Veronica

Feast of Saint Veronica, January 13. The Festival of Saint Veronica celebrates St. Veronica de Binasco of Milan.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Independence Day, October 27. Independent since October 27, 1979.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Day, January 22. Feast day of Saint Vincent of Saragossa.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, St Vincent and the Grenadines Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day, Whit Monday, CARICOM Day, Carnival, Emancipation Day, Independence Day, Christmas, Boxing Day.

Saint Vincent of Saragossa

Feast of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, January 22. Patron saint of winegrowers. The Feast of Saint Vincent is observed in Europe to honor the patron saint of winegrowers. Celebrated with processions, prayers, and weather-omen ceremonials.

Saint Vitus

Feast of Saint Vitus, June 15. Patron saint of dancers, actors, comedians, and sufferers of epilipsy. This feast day also honors his nurse who converted him, Crescentia, and her husband, his tutor, Modestus.

Saint Walburga

Feast of Saint Walburga, February 25 and May 1. Daughter of St Richard, a Saxon Prince in Wessex. She died in the year 776 as Abbess of Heidenheim. Protectress against magic arts. See also Walpurgis Night.

Saint Wenceslaus

Feast of Saint Wenceslaus, September 28. Patron saint of Czechoslovakia.