If you live outside Europe and Latin American countries, you may not be familiar with a name day celebration. Also called Saint’s Name Day, this is celebrated in many cultures worldwide, where people celebrate their name and its significance.
If you want to learn how name days differ from birthdays, which countries celebrate them, and how to celebrate them, then this article is for you.
How are name days different from birthdays?
People celebrate their birthdays on the anniversary of their birth. On the other hand, your name day is celebrated on the date dedicated to a specific saint. So everyone named after this saint celebrates on this day of the year.
Name day celebrations include festive celebrations, gifts, family gatherings, or religious services in some countries. In some cultures, it is even bigger than birthdays because it celebrates everyone named after a person’s identity and connection to the saint.
So, if you are Michael, you celebrate being a Michael — and all Michaels celebrate alongside you.
Origin of name day
The origin of name day is unknown, but most people trace it to early Greek and Christian traditions. Ancient Greeks would celebrate the names of their gods on specific days, while Christians celebrated a particular saint or biblical figure on a specific date.
Over time, name day celebrations were extended to include everyone sharing their name with the day’s saint. Also, remember, in the past, most people didn’t have the means to celebrate birthdays, and only the elite would do so. Name days allowed everyone to celebrate their patron saints who would guide and protect them in their spiritual journey and daily life.
Now, these days are not strictly religious, and people celebrate them even if their names aren’t linked with a saint’s day.
Customs and traditions associated with name day
Name days are primarily celebrated in Catholic and Orthodox parts of the world because most protestant churches don’t venerate saints. So you will find such celebrations in countries like Greece, Latvia, Czech, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Latin America, and others.
In Poland, for example, people wear a symbol of their saint and participate in religious ceremonies. They also give cards, flowers, and gifts to the person celebrating their name day.
In Greece, people celebrate with a feast, serving a dessert called “Loukoumades.” The honored person also gets gifts and small tokens; children may be given money.
In Bulgaria, St. George’s Day is celebrated as a springtime festival. People named George or Georgi enjoy lamb dishes, and the festival also signifies the beginning of the agricultural season.
How to celebrate your name day
This day can be as important as your birthday. As mentioned, this celebration is no longer explicitly Christian, and people have various ways to celebrate it. However, here are the three most common ways to celebrate it.
Honor the saint or person you’re named after
On this day, you can honor the saint, martyr, biblical figure, or particular person you’re named after by going to church, engaging in cultural customs, telling people the story of the saint or person you’re named after, and wearing the saint’s badge or displaying their icon in a prominent place.
Celebrated with loved ones
People traditionally celebrate name days communally, and anybody can join the party. Things have changed, but you can still celebrate the day with your family, friends, and community. It’s a day of hospitality, so invite guests and prepare a traditional meal.
The person celebrating their special day can choose the main course or the whole meal. Be happy and have fun.
Exchange gifts
Unlike birthdays, this may be the celebrated person’s turn to give gifts. It’s your opportunity to embody a giving and benevolent saint and bring small gifts or tokens of appreciation for the people you invite. They don’t have to be expensive gifts and may include flowers, cake, or cards.
The guests also give the person gifts, and it would be nice to have the person’s name on your gift since it is their name day.
How to find out your name day
Not everyone is named after saints, but you can still find your special day on a name day calendar. You can also search for it online on websites such as Namedaycalendar.com and mynameday.com. Plus, some apps will provide you with the date of this day.
Remember that this day may differ from country to country. Different countries may honor a particular saint on other days, so your name day may fall on various dates. However, you can pick a convenient day if you are not from that country.
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