A Name Day of My Very Own

I’m proud of my name. It never dawned on me to ask my parents why they chose the name for me that they did. I don’t know if there was ever a Saint named after me. I doubt it. I know in many cultures, many first names are linked with days of the year or in honor of a Saint from a bygone age. Nameday is the result of such thinking: And you can thank the church for holding a festival for a saint of a specific name on a specific day.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many “Michael’s” and “Peters” in the world it’s because they were saints. For example, the church recognizes the feast of Saint Michael on September 29th. So naturally, the nameday for anyone with the name of Michael isâÂ?¦you guessed itâÂ?¦September 29th. Not everyone benefits from having a nameday. Some parents named their kids for more obscure reasons than linking their children to a patron saint. But in some countries – Italy comes to mind – a person’s nameday is given more credence than a birthday.

The whole tradition of nameday or recognizing an individual on a naming day is found in many Catholic and Eastern Orthodox countries. I tend to use Italy as an example because I’m convinced that nearly every day of the week, 52 weeks out of the year, there is a saint that is recognized. Plus i live in Italy and I see this type of thing every day. Italian nameday, known as the “Onomastico” is actually rooted in Feast Days for Saints. Traditionally, Italians choose the names of their kids based on the name of a maternal parent or grandparent. And those folks were named after – you guessed it – a saint! It all adds up to the same thing as someone, somewhere is celebrating their nameday during the week. Hey, any reason not to go to work is fine with me!

The tradition of nameday is also widely recognized in the Nordic countries, particularly in Finland and Sweden. January 28th is a big day for any Swede named Karl (or Carl) for example. As Swedes celebrate the nameday of King Karl Gustaf. In Iceland, anyone with the name of Jon – and that seems like 80% of the population, gets a nameday for Saint John.

Now, a lot of times, children are named for Saints, typically a Saint on whose Feast Day they were born. That makes it easy when choosing a name. But again, when you name your child Roger for exampleâÂ?¦wellâÂ?¦I don’t think there are any Saints named Roger, nor are there any Feast Days that recognize Saint Roger. So you can’t get a hit every time you go to the plate!
As was mentioned, the celebration of a nameday has been passed down through the ages and has been a tradition in many Catholic countries since the middle ages. Of course this is the same Catholic Church that burned witches at the stake. And we all know how accurate that was! Anyway, if you look at the list of holidays that commemorate all of the Catholic Saints and martyrs, you’ll find a nameday list as long as your arm. Again, a nameday for every day of the week that honors the soul of someone. Just what I need: another great excuse to drink wine and eat cake!

Every country celebrates nameday in a different way. For some cultures the nameday is more important than a birthday. In other countries (Italy, again, please take a bow) it’s another opportunity to celebrate. My mother-in-law celebrates my wife’s nameday (that would be “Saint Giuliana”) with a small cake and usually sparkling white wine. I never heard of Saint Giuliana, but if such a saint does exist and she is keeping an eye on my wife when I’m out of town, than I’m a pretty lucky guy!

I wasn’t lucky enough to have a nameday based on my first name. Don’t know what the criteria was for my parents. As the fourth son in a group that also included a fifth daughter I’m sure they just rolled their eyes and said “not again!” So maybe they just pulled a name out of a hat. Luckily, my middle name is Anthony, so I celebrate on the nameday of Saint Antony or Antonio.

Bartender another glass of wine, please!