Name day celebration

[Tabiti]

I consider it christian tradition mainly because family days are linked with religious celebrations, however names with non christian origin are also added within the others. For example we have a separate name days for people named after flowers (on Palm Sunday), a name day for those named after rulers...

[Svarog]

Orthodox Christians do celebrate name days. The Saints' literature is rich and very interesting. And name days also mean lots of good food.

Indeed friend

As for my family it is St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki - 8th of November

[Loxias]

Is name day a concept known to your country?
yes

If so, do you celebrate your name day?
not really, although some time people give me their wishes.

If so, when is your name day?
10 of January, exactly one month after my birthday

Indeed friend

As for my family it is St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki - 8th of November

You guys have your own name day plus one for the family? That's pretty cool! Must make for awesome gatherings!

[Tabiti]

Family saints exist in some regions of Bulgaria as well. My man's village has such tradition, however I don't know how it's celebrated.
My maternal grandfather's family worshiped st.George mostly, for example.

[Comte Arnau]

Is name day a concept known to your country?

Yes.

If so, do you celebrate your name day?

Yes.

If so, when is your name day?

Access denied.

[Luern]

Not anymore. Today it's birthday only.

The concept is still known, it is no longer celebrated the way birthday is. Nuance. I remember some guys in my classroom who still had their name day "celebrated" at home. But even today the habit persists, "Bonne fête" is not so unusual for me to hear at work. So probably it all depends on where we live and on our background. On the other hand, I guess it is most probably devoid of any religious meaning.

Yes. My father told me that still in his youth, people used to celebrate their saint's day rather than their birthday (at least in Italy).

Yes, birthday celebration is a most recent thing. Not even parents would wish their children a happy birthday.

[Tony]

Is name day a concept known to your country?

Yes , but it is and tought of by most as of something outdated , birthday won it out nowadays ; women , even the youger ones , generally tend to be more attached to it than men because of the gift thing , you know...
Usually the least likely people to celebrate it are:

• young
• males
• northeners
• living in a major city

and the most likely to celebrate it are

• aged
• females
• southerners
• living in medium to small sized towns

If so, do you celebrate your name day?

It dependes on the circumstances , usually my gf has something special for me , I mean a gift (she's a sweetie) or if we enough time off we go out for dinner but it's not a real celebration , it's more an excuse to be just among us and none else.

If so, when is your name day?

On September the 17th San Roberto Bellarmino
On June the 7th San Robert of Westminster

[Bard]

Agree with Tony, and I don't celebrate it too, btw mine is on 4th july "Sant'Elia" (he was a prophet in various religions)

[Tabiti]

I should show this thread to my father since he was long arguing with me that name days were strictly Orthodox christian...

[Anthropos]

I should show this thread to my father since he was long arguing with me that name days were strictly Orthodox christian...

Um... what do you mean by that? The fact that the peoples of Europe are largely ignorant of their traditions has no bearing on the facts regarding this custom for as long as those traditions still exist, and indeed nothing points to it that they will cease to exist. Your father is right. Or, to be more precise, it is a custom of traditional Christianity, whether Orthodox, Coptic or Catholic.