Name day
In
The custom originated with the Christian calendar of saints: believers named after a saint would celebrate that saint's feast day. Within Christianity, name days have greater resonance in areas where the Christian denominations of Catholicism, Lutheranism and Orthodoxy predominate.[1]
In some countries, however, name-day celebrations do not have a connection to explicitly Christian traditions.[4][5]
History
The celebration of name days has been a tradition in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox countries since the
Where name days occur, official lists contain the current assignations of names to
In various countries
Bulgaria
Name days (
Two of the most popular name days in Bulgaria are St. George's day (Гергьовден, celebrated on 6 May) and St. John's day (Ивановден, celebrated on 7 January).
Another example of a name day connected with Christianity is Tsvetnitsa (Цветница, Palm Sunday). On this day people with names derived from flowers, trees, herbs, etc., celebrate. Name days are frequently connected with some year or season features like Dimitrovden (Dimitar's day, 26 October) being the beginning of winter and Gergyovden (George's day, 6 May) being the end of it according to traditional folklore.
Name days in Bulgaria are important and widely celebrated. Children celebrate their name days by bringing sweets and chocolates to school. By an ancient Bulgarian tradition, everybody is welcome on name days; there is no need to invite guests. Presents are given.
Common well-wishes include "May you hear your name from grandchildren and great-grandchildren!" (Да чуеш името си от внуци и правнуци!), "May you hear your name only with good!" (Да ти се чува името само за добро!) and "May your name be healthy and well!" (Да ти е живо и здраво името!).
Croatia
In Croatia, name day (Croatian: imendan) is a day corresponding to a date in the Catholic calendar when the respective saint's day is celebrated. Even though the celebration of the name day is less usual than celebrating a birthday, the name day is more often congratulated by a broader number of acquaintances. This is due to the fact that the date of birth is seldom known and the person's name is known to many.
The names that are celebrated on the certain saint's day are all the names that correspond to the respective name and all the derivative names. For example, if there are different versions of the same name in different languages (e.g. John), i.e. different versions in Slavic, Romance, Germanic or other language groups, all the respective names are celebrated.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, each day of the year corresponds to a personal name (or several names). People celebrate their name day (svátek or dated jmeniny) on the date corresponding to their own given name.
Name days are commonly of less importance than birthdays to Czech people. However, name day celebrations can be, and often are, held together with friends or co-workers of the same name and in this way it can grow in size and importance.[citation needed]
In the past, by law, parents were not allowed to choose just any name for a child.[citation needed] This has changed, although it is still common to choose the name from the name day "calendar". The original list was the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, but changes have been made to reflect the present-day usage of names. Any existing name, Czech or foreign, can be given, but not domestic or diminutive forms.[6]
Name days corresponding to some of the most frequent names in the Czech Republic gained slightly more important than the others.[citation needed] For example, the dates associated with names Josef (Joseph) and Karel (Charles) are commonly known even by people with different names.[citation needed] However, the popularity of these names has decreased in the last years (6836 Josefs were born in 1947, but only 638 in 2014[7]).
Denmark
Danes have their own calendar for name days (Danish: navnedag). However, the custom of celebrating one's name day is practically unknown in Denmark, and few Danes know when their name day is.
Finland
Finns celebrate their name days (
Women are slightly underrepresented in the calendar: approximately 45 per cent of name days celebrate only women while some 49 per cent are name days of men. The rest are of names that may be given to either sex, such as Rauni (15 July), or feature both women's and men's names, such as Oliver and Olivia (29 May).
There are many traditional beliefs associated with various name days, especially involving the weather and the appropriate times to perform agricultural tasks, such as planting some particular crop. For example, there is a saying that "Jaakko (James) casts a cold rock into the water", meaning that on Jaakko's day, 25 July, the lake and sea waters will start getting colder, which is not far from true on average.[citation needed] The seven days from the 18th to the 24th of July, all being women's name days, are known as "the women's week" (naistenviikko). It is popularly believed to be an especially rainy week, and this is to some extent supported by statistics, as late July and early August are the rainiest times of the year in Finland.[citation needed]
The Almanac Office reviews the name lists at intervals of 5–10 years, adding new names as they gain popularity and removing others that have faded into disuse. The University of Helsinki owns the copyright to the name lists and their corresponding dates.
The
France
In France name days (French: fête du prénom) have long been very important in everyday culture and it was traditional to give a small gift to a friend or family member on their name day.
Some days of the year are commonly referred to by their saint's day: "la [sc. fête de] Saint Sylvestre" is New Year's Eve; "la Saint Jean" is Midsummer (24 June); and so on.
Germany
In Germany name days (German: Namenstag) used to be widely popular in traditionally Catholic southern and western regions, where historically they were more important than birthdays. Since the 1950s, the tradition has mostly disappeared even in Catholic families.[9]
Greece and Cyprus
In Greece and Cyprus, a name day (Greek: ονομαστική εορτή, romanized: onomastikí eortí, or γιορτή) is celebrated in a similar way to a birthday, except for expected differences (e.g. no birthday cake).[5] It has been a strong Greek tradition since antiquity for newborn children to be named after one of their grandparents. This results in a continuation of names in the family line.
According to the
The traditional format of a name day celebration is an open house: once a family or person has chosen to celebrate with invited guests (at home, at a restaurant, a bar or a club) if at all (e.g. following a recent bereavement), all well-wishers may be welcomed. Children celebrate their birthdays and name days equally festively, but as the person grows up the emphasis may shift decisively.[
Hungary
Name days in
Ireland
In
Italy
In
'name'). People often receive small gifts on their Onomastico; cakes are also baked. Name days are determined according to the " (Sanctorale, a cycle found in the General Roman Calendar giving almost each day a few saints, so different names may celebrated on the same day.[11] Traditionally, parents fix the name day of their child at christening, according to the favourite saint in case of different ones (on different days) with the same name, and the child will carry it all along with its life. In the case of multiple given names, the child will celebrate only one, usually the first. In South Italy, the onomastico is given a much higher relevance, and sometimes it is considered more important than the birthday itself.Many parishes used to celebrate the name-day of their patron saint with Mass celebrations, religious processions and also charity festivals. A festival like that, can include a community canteen, food stands or a temporary amusement park, it could last few days and is called sagra, even if the term is broadly used also for non Catholic related town festivals.
Latvia
In Latvia, name days (Latvian: vārda dienas) are settled on certain dates; each day (except for 29 February in a leap year) is a name day.[12] Usually, Latvian calendars list up to five names each day—around 1,000 names a year. Recently an extended calendar with around 5,000 names was published, and there are also a few extended calendars found on the Internet listing names even on 29 February. 29 February is a popular date to celebrate name days of people who do not have a name day; another such date is 22 May. People who do not have name days in ordinary calendars can enjoy many variations when to celebrate—on 29 February or 22 May and, if they have their name in an extended calendar or in the church calendar, on the date listed there (so in a leap year such a person can choose from 2 to 4 dates when to celebrate). The Latvian name days calendar is updated at one or two-year intervals; anyone can suggest a name for the calendar, usually by sending an application to the State Language Centre (Valsts valodas centrs).
Some families may even celebrate their name days more than their birthdays if the name day falls on a date during a much nicer season. For example: they are more likely to organise a big party for a name day that falls in the summer months- than a birthday during the months with bad weather (late autumn or winter).
Mexico and Latin America
The onomastico in Latin America is the feast of the saint in honor of which someone was named. It is very common for this term to be used as a synonym for birthdays, but this word refers to the list of the names of the saint, so they are not synonymous. Although (especially years before) by popular tradition the newborn son was named with the name that the Catholic saint indicated for that day, not always the day of someone's birthday coincides with the day of his name. In this way, women called "Rosa" could celebrate their name on the day of Saint Rose of Viterbo in Italy, Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne in France or Saint Rose of Lima on 23 August in Peru, women called "Mercedes" celebrate it on 24 September as well as men called "Joseph" celebrate it on 19 March, regardless of whether or not they were born on those dates. For the devout their saint day can be more important and significant than their own birthday.
North Macedonia
Name-days (
Poland
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2020) |
Traditionally, name day celebrations (Polish: imieniny) have enjoyed a celebratory emphasis greater than that of birthday celebrations in parts of Poland. However, birthday celebrations are increasingly popular and important, particularly among the younger generations. Imieniny involve the gathering and socializing of friends and family at the celebrant's home, as well as the giving of gifts and flowers at home and elsewhere, such as at the workplace. Local calendars often contain the names celebrated on a given day.
Romania
Name days (onomastica) in Romania are associated with the Orthodox Christian saint's celebrations. The celebrations are made very much in the same way as in Greece (see above). Name days are almost as important as birthdays, and those who have the name of that particular saint get celebrated on that day. Some of the more important Name days are 1 January: Sf. Vasile (St. Basil), 7 January: Sf. Ioan (St. John), 23 April: Sf. Gheorghe (St. George), 21 May: Sf. Constantin şi Elena (St. Constantine and Helen), 29 June: Sf. Petru şi Pavel (St. Peter and Paul), 20 July: Sf. Ilie (St. Elias), 15 August and 8 September: Sf. Maria (St. Mary), 9 September: Sf. Ana (St. Ann), 14 October: Sf. Parascheva (St. Paraskeva), 26 October: Sf. Dumitru (St. Demetrios), 8 November: Sf. Mihail şi Gavril (St. Michael and Gabriel), 25 November: Sf. Ecaterina (St. Catherine), 30 November: Sf. Andrei (St. Andrew), 6 December: Sf. Nicolae (St. Nicholas), 27 December: Sf. Stefan (St. Stephen).[13]
Persons (especially women) who have no saint name or who only have a flower name celebrate their name day on Palm Sunday (Floriile in Romanian, which roughly translates as the Flowers Day). This name day is unfixed and is celebrated each year on the last Sunday before Orthodox Easter.
Russia
The Russian Imperial family followed a tradition of giving name-day gifts, such as a diamond or a pearl.
References to name days in Russian literature and theatre include the entire first act of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, where Irina celebrates her name day, Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin with the celebration of Tatiana's name day, and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, Book I, where both the mother and the youngest daughter of the Rostov family (referred to as Natalya and Natasha, respectively) celebrate their name day.
Although the name day (именины/imeniny) celebration is not as popular as a birthday celebration, the Russian word for a person having a birthday (день рождения/den rozhdeniya) is still именинник/imeninnik, literally "a person whose name day is being celebrated").
Slovakia
In Slovakia name days (Slovak: meniny) are widely celebrated. Name days are more often celebrated than birthdays in workplaces, presumably because it is simpler to know the date since most calendars contain a list of name days, which can also be found in the header of daily newspapers. Celebrations in elementary schools are different from those within the family, as the celebrant gives candies to their classmates. Within the family, birthday-like celebrations are often held with cakes, presents and flowers. Flowers are sometimes sold out for popular name days. In the past, the law did not allow parents to choose any name for their child. That has changed, although it is still common to choose but name from the name day list in the calendar.
The original list was the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, but changes have been made to reflect the present-day usage of names.
Slovenia
Name days (
Spain
Until recently,[
Sweden
From the 18th century onwards, names used by the royal family were introduced to the Swedish list of name days, followed by other common names. In 1901 a comprehensive modernisation was made to make the list up to date with current names. The monopoly on almanacs, held by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, expired in 1972 and so did the official name day list. Competing name day lists began to emerge but the official list was still in general use until 1986 when the consensus of a new list with three names on each day was reached. This list was revised in 1993 and reduced to two names on each day. However, widespread dissatisfaction with the list prompted the Swedish Academy to compile a new two-name list which was finally accepted and brought into use in 2001. Although it does not have the official status of the 1901 or older lists, it is now universally used in Sweden.
Ukraine
Name days in Ukraine (Ukrainian: день ангела, lit. 'angel's day') are usually associated with Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox (Moscow Patriarchate), and Ukrainian Catholic churches celebrations of a day when a saint was born.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ a b "When Is Your Name Day (Namenstag)?". Humboldt American Press. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
Sweden, a mostly Protestant Lutheran country, is still into celebrating name days (namnsdagar). And various countries have their own name day calendars. In Latvia, for instance, where your name day is still more important than your birthday, even normal daily calendars indicate the Latvian name days. (Sweden is the same.)
- ISBN 978-1-84545-554-5.
The factor that contributes decisively to the recognition in Greece of the importance of the name day part from the religious parameters, is the name itself, 'the baptismal name' (vaptistiko) and the consequent symbolic power that the name wields in the identification and placing of the individuall in society as a result of bearing the saint's name (Oikonomidis 1962).
- ISBN 978-0-520-26056-6.
- ^ a b
Sophie Koulomzin (1980), Many Worlds: A Russian Life, St Vladimir's Seminary Press, ISBN 978-0-913836-72-9
- ^ a b
Anne R. Kaplan; Marjorie A. Hoover; Willard Burgess Moore (1986), The Minnesota Ethnic Food Book, Minnesota Historical Society, ISBN 978-0-87351-198-8
- ^ Zákon o matrikách, jménu a příjmení a o změně některých souvisejících zákonů (Zákon 301/2000Sb., §62) (in Czech). Parlament České republiky. 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Naše jména - aktuální databáze jmen a příjmení četnost v ČR, význam, svátek". www.nasejmena.cz (in Czech).
- ^ "2023 Calendar". almanakka.helsinki.fi. University of Helsinki Almanac Office. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Du trägst Diesen Namen..." [You bear this name...]. katholisch.de (in German). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Celebrating A Name Day in Old Ireland - World Cultures European". www.irishcultureandcustoms.com.
- ^ adèspoto entry (in Italian) in the Enciclopedia italiana
- ^ Latvian Culture Portal: Traditional Festivities Archived 26 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Calendar Creştin Orthodox 2018". www.noutati-ortodoxe.ro.
External links
- (in English) My Name Day. Calendar with names. The new edition of first name day calendar. USA and Canada. Name days are based on both Saint's days and American history.
- (in English) International nameday API Archived 14 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine International Name Days API - programmatic access to name days for multiple countries.
- (in English) Name days for 15 countries by date.
- (in English) How to say Happy Name Day in Latvian.
- (in English) The first name day calendar in which most of the name days are based on both Saint's days and American history was published in the United States in 1982 and all of its original pages are viewable on calendar's 1982 Edition page: American Nameday Calendar of First Names, 1982 Edition
- (in English) Hungarian Name Days by date.
- (in Swedish) Swedish Name Days by date.
- (in English) Name Day Calendar by country/date.
- (in Romanian) Calendar Ortodox by month/date.
- (in English) French and American Name Days by month/date.
- (in Hungarian) Hungarian Name Day Calendar Archived 18 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine by month/date.
- (in Czech) Czech Name Day Calendar by month/date.
- (in Hungarian) Hungarian Name Day Search Engine - search by date, forename, nickname.