Name day celebration

[Absinthe]

A name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America of celebrating on a particular day of the year associated with the one's given name. The custom originated with the Catholic and Orthodox calendar of saints, where believers, named after a particular saint, would celebrate that saint's feast day. In many countries, however, there is no longer any explicit connection to Christianity.[1][2]

Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_day)

Is name day a concept known to your country?

If not, have you heard of this custom before?

If so, do you celebrate your name day?

If so, when is your name day? :)

[Anthropos]

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

[Arrow Cross]

Is name day a concept known to your country?

If not, have you heard of this custom before?

If so, do you celebrate your name day?

If so, when is your name day? :)

Yes.

Yes.

No.

On the 14th of February. D;

[Mesrine]

Is name day a concept known to your country?

Not anymore. Today it's birthday only. People are afraid of death more than by anything else, but still enjoy to celebrate the fact they get one year closer to it. :D



If not, have you heard of this custom before?

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).



If so, do you celebrate your name day?

No. I don't celebrate my birthday either.



If so, when is your name day? :)

Not supposed to answer, but I have two: January 17 and June 13.

[Tabiti]

Is name day a concept known to your country?
Yes

If so, do you celebrate your name day?
Not really, because it's just another religious thing...However I treat people with candies and such...
If so, when is your name day?
15th August (Virgin Mary's Day)

[Frigga]

No to all of the above! :)

[Eldritch]

Is name day a concept known to your country?

If not, have you heard of this custom before?

If so, do you celebrate your name day?

If so, when is your name day? :)

Yes, not applicable, no, I don't remember, but it's sometime in June.

Even though I'm over 30 uears old, my grandma always slips me a 50€ bill on or near my patron saint's day. :p

[Osweo]

Is name day a concept known to your country?
The fact that the film Именица where Nicole Kidman plays the Russian mail order bride was translated as 'Birthday Girl' in my language speaks for the fact that it's unknown here now.

I suppose before the Reformation, there may have been more of a connection between given names and saints' days, as in Ireland to some extent. My grandmother was named after the saint on the day she was born, for instance.

If not, have you heard of this custom before?
I lived for eight years in the closest intimacy with Orthodox Russians, so, yep!

If so, do you celebrate your name day?
My forename is that of a prophet rather than a saint, so there is no such day that I'm aware of. Likewise there are no ikons ever for sale in Church shops for my name. There may be some obscure more modern saint with this name, but I've not heard of him.

If so, when is your name day? :)
I an't got one!
But had I been named after the saint whose feast day I was born on, I would now bear the superbly Anglo-Saxon-British name of Ceadda, or Chad. :thumbs up

What about you, Abs? I know your name and don't think it's a canonical one, as such. What do you do for a name day? :confused:

[Anthropos]

Is name day a concept known to your country?
Yes it is. But the majority of people don't have a clue what the purpose is. This is in fact an example of how meaningless the mere custom is when compared with the custom in its traditional setting.

If so, do you celebrate your name day?
I don't... yet. I celebrate other people's name days. :) I wasn't raised a Christian, but I am a catechumen for Orthodox baptism, and if I go through with it I will get a Christian name. (All my names are Christian names, but that is not really relevant in this case. What I said regarding the difference between mere custom and tradition applies equally well to this situation, and so I will wait until it's time.)

[Arrow Cross]

Strange... all of you seem to consider it a Christian tradition. Is Hungary the only place in Europe where name days, although marginal in significance, are completely secular events?

[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. :cheers:

Indeed friend :thumb001:

As for my family it is St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greece/Religion/SaintDemetrius.html) - 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 :thumb001:

As for my family it is St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greece/Religion/SaintDemetrius.html) - 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...:p
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.

[Tabiti]

He's sure that name days are unknown in Italy, Hungary, Poland and whatever. He traveled a lot, however is not interested in traditions, religions and customs being one of the biggest atheists I know.

[Comte Arnau]

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

There was a time in Spain where everybody should be given one of the names of the saints in a calendar. There was even a joke in which one named his son Aldorso because he had seen it in the calendar (Al dorso = See overleaf).

Those with a saint name that was not in a calendar would celebrate it today, in All Saints' Day.

[Anthropos]

He's sure that name days are unknown in Italy, Hungary, Poland and whatever. He traveled a lot, however is not interested in traditions, religions and customs being one of the biggest atheists I know.

Misunderstood you then. Almost goes to prove that narrowmindedness is not a religious thing, doesn't it? :eek:

[Tony]

Misunderstood you then. Almost goes to prove that narrowmindedness is not a religious thing, doesn't it? :eek:
Yeah , perhaps he wrongly thinks that Catholics Anglicans Calvinists Luterans i.e. all non-Orthodox are all the same , and that only Orthodox retain the real Christian tradition , could it be?

By the way someone asked me who was Robert of West- sorry I've just realized he is actually Robert of Newminster and not Westminster :D:eek:

Early life
Saint Robert was born in the district of Craven, near Skipton in North Yorkshire, probably in the village of Gargrave. He studied at the University of Paris, where he is said to have composed a commentary - since lost - on the Psalms. He became a parish priest, returning to serve in his hometown of Gargrave, where he was made rector. He later became a Benedictine at Whitby, joining a band of monks from Saint Mary's Abbey in York. They established a monastery in the winter of 1132 in a valley near Skeldale, on land given them by Archbishop Thurston. The first two years were difficult, and the monks struggled in extreme poverty. Initially they lived in a makeshift structure on the banks of the River Skell. But despite the hardships, the monks were known for their holiness, austerity, and dedication to the strict Benedictine way of life. Eventually, their fame brought a new novice, Hugh, Dean of York, who relinquished all his wealth to the community, and allowed for the building of more suitable facilities. Because of the many natural springs in the area, the monastery was called Fountains Abbey. St Robert was described as a devout, prayerful, and gentle man. While he is known for being merciful in his judgment of others, and a warm and considerate campanion, he was also very zealous toward his own vows of poverty.

[edit] Cistercian and Abbot
St Robert received his abbot's permission to join the founders of the Cistercian monastery of Fountains. About 1138 he headed the first colony sent out from Fountains and established the Abbey of Newminster near the castle of Ralph de Merlay, at Morpeth in Northumberland. During his abbacy three colonies of monks were sent out to found new monasteries. The monasteries were established at Pipewell (1143), Roche (1147), and Sawley (1148).

[edit] Controversy and Visit to Saint Bernard
Capgrave's life tells that an accusation of misconduct was brought against him by his own monks: St Robert was said to have had an interest towards a woman of the village; so he went abroad (1147-1148), to defend himself before St. Bernard. St Bernard did not doubt St Robert's innocence, since he had received a heavenly sign of his virtuous conduct. St Robert and St Bernard became friends, and St Bernard gave St Robert his belt, which is considered miraculous: it is said that many ill people have recovered just by touching it[citation needed]. Now, the belt is currently in Newminster. Doubt has been cast upon the truth of this story, which may have arisen from a desire to associate the English saint personally with the greatest of the Cistercians.

[edit] Location of Relics and Miracles associated with Saint Robert
Saint Robert's relics are located in the church at Newminster, and miracles have been reported at his tomb. In one instance, a monk is said to have fallen unhurt from a ladder while working on one of the buildings. His tomb has become a center for pilgrimage. St Robert was a close spiritual friend of the hermit Saint Godric. On the night Robert died, St Godric is said to have seen a vision of Robert's soul, like a ball of fire, being lifted by angles on a pathway of light toward the gates of heaven. As they approached, Godric heard a voice saying, "Enter now my friends."

St Robert is often depicted in church art as an abbot holding a church. His feast day is celebrated on June 7, the day of his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_of_Newminster

http://www.santiebeati.it/immagini/Original/56350/56350.JPG

http://www.santiebeati.it/immagini/Original/56350/56350A.JPG

[Osweo]

Robert of Newminster
Saint Robert was born in the district of Craven, near Skipton in North Yorkshire, probably in the village of Gargrave.
My own Great Grandfather was from only 15 miles away, in Bacup (I'm only about 26 miles away myself), so St Robert might be a distant uncle of mine! Thanks for bringing this up, Tony, I'll read about the man with interest now. I've visited most of the abbeys associated with him. He probably talked a bit like me! :cheers:

Or he might at least have been the brother of the wicked Norman landlord who had my ancestors flogged now and then... ;)

[Elsa]

Is name day a concept known to your country?
No. And as far as I am aware it's not celebrated in the Republic of Ireland either. Strange, since they are Catholic.


If not, have you heard of this custom before?
Yes. I first heard about it being celebrated in France.

[Svipdag]

The USA, being ethnically heterogeneous, there are doubtless families who have heard of and perhaps even celebrate name days, but the custom is rare here. Oddly enough, I first heard of it in Beethoven's opera, "Fidelio." "Des Koenigs Namensfest ist heute. Das feiern wir auf solche art..." I was named after an uncle who was named after Martin Luther, so, no name day.