The days of the Russian name are an interesting tradition with Christian origins and a part of Russian culture. When a Russian person bears the name of a saint, he or she has the opportunity to celebrate the day appointed for the saint, in addition to a birthday. The name of the day is also called the “day of the angel.”
Changing tradition
Observing this tradition has changed over the centuries. Before the 20th century, name day was an important day, even more important than birthday, as Russians felt a strong connection to the Orthodox Church. However, when religious observance fell out of favor during Soviet times, the name day tradition became less important. Today, because not all people are named after a saint, and because different saints with the same name can be celebrated throughout the year, name days are not constantly celebrated.
Due to the growing interest in the church, the naming of children in honor of saints and the celebration of the name day is increasing in popularity in Russia. Due to the religious significance of the name day, the annual celebration may include attendance at a religious service. The celebration can be a simple family gathering or, in the case of a child, some companions may be invited to a party. In many cases, the observance of the name day depends on family tradition, the level of importance of religion to the family, community norms, and other factors.
Many Russians do not observe the tradition of the name day. In case the naming day tradition is observed, the celebrant may take the saint’s naming day closest to her birthday. Small congratulatory gifts, such as flowers or chocolates, are given on this occasion.
Real Name Day celebrations
Russian tsars and emperors watched their name days in a big way. For example, Alexandra Fyodorovna’s name day was celebrated with a lunch that included four types of wine and sumptuous main dishes such as duck fillet and lamb chops. The meal was accompanied by rich place settings and was preceded by a choir concert and the Divine Liturgy.
Name day calendars
Calendars can be purchased that list all the name days for the saints. These calendars show the names of the saints associated with particular dates on the calendar. For example, someone named Anastasia may celebrate their name day on November 11, while someone named Alexander may celebrate their name day on November 19. Because more than one saint can share the same day, multiple days can be marked with the same name. For example, another Saint Anastasia is remembered on January 4. The day of celebration depends on the saint for whom the person was named.
In some cases, the person bears the name of the saint whose day is celebrated on the day of his birth, so the name and birthday are the same day.
The tradition of the name day can be read in Russian literature, for example, in Eugene Onegin by Pushkin or The Three Sisters by Chekhov.
Name day tradition in other countries
Other Eastern European countries maintain this tradition to a greater or lesser degree, such as Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Ukraine. For example, in many countries, the name day tradition has faded in importance and the person’s birthday as the main day to celebrate. However, in countries like Hungary, name days can still be just as important as birthdays.
