|
GREEK NAME DAY
TRADITIONS
What's in a Name Day?
If you are of Greek
Orthodox heritage, you may already know that you have a Name
Day and celebrate it each year. Greeks do, of course, celebrate
their Birthdays as well. However, Name Days are
considered as more important celebrations than Birthdays.
With children usually
taking the name of their grandparents, names are carried
over from one generation to the next. It is customary
for the firstborn boy to be named after his parental
grandfather, in many cases carrying on the same name and
surname combinations for many hundreds of years.
As it is, Greek names are
mostly derived from Christian Faith, hence they are
often the names of Saints of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Each Saint is commemorated on a different day of the
year. The day on which Christians honour each Saint is
also the Name Day for the many Greeks named after that
Saint. It is an important Religious day for the Church,
and an important day in the life of the many people
named after each Saint.
Name Day Etiquette and
Celebrations
In Greece, not
remembering somebody on their Birthday may be
acceptable. Birthday Parties
are usually attended following an invitation. Name Days,
however, are regarded as Open House Celebrations and it
is often considered offensive to snub one on that day. In past years people did not need an invitation to
attend the Name Day Celebration.
The fact was that Nikos would be at home offering sweets
and drinks at the very least on the 6th of December
every year, waiting for guests to arrive to wish him
"Hronia Polla" and to offer their presents, personal gifts,
flowers, a bottle of alcohol or cakes.
Hronia Polla (Χρόνια
Πολλά) is the
traditional "all-in-one" wish to give on any occasion in
Greece, literally meaning "Many
Years", as in "wishing you many years to live".
Things have changed in
recent years, whereby people won't just rock up to your
house uninvited on your Name Day with their present.
Today it is only acceptable to arrive at a Name Day
celebration after you have first called the Honouree to
wish them a Happy Name Day and confirm that they will be
accepting visitors in the evening. In that case,
anything goes: from sweets, snacks and drinks to
full-blown parties with music, food and dancing. Even
the police will rarely disturb a loud party at a property
where a Name Day celebration is being held, sometimes
continuing well into the wee hours of the morning.
Greek Orthodox Name
Day Traditions
Name Days have
religious roots and are meant to honour the Saint whose
memory is being celebrated. On the most well-known
Saints' Name Days people go to church, sometimes
travelling for many hours, to honour the Saint and/or
Church where his/her Icon is displayed.
 For
instance, on the 15th of
August each year, the day dedicated to the Dormition of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, thousands of people flock to
her Church - Panagia tis Tinou - on the Island of Tinos from all around
Greece, a few even climbing the many stone steps on their
knees to ask for a miracle. They leave votive trinkets -
tamata - made of
silver and precious stones at her Icon, in exchange for
the much-needed miracle requested. The 15th of
August is a National Holiday throughout Greece and
is considered one of the most important celebrations of
Christian Faith.
Similarly, the life and
miracles of many less known Saints of Greek
Orthodox Faith are celebrated on different days
throughout the year. The highlight of the evening will
often mean a visit to the home of a relative or friend
who has their Name Day. Gifts are offered and a
celebration takes place.
Look for some of the most
well-known Greek names below and see who has their Name
Day in the next few
months. Don't forget to send that special someone
a bunch of flowers from Petals Worldwide
or some
chocolates on their Name Day. Write
ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ on the card
or download
our PDF, printable version, of a Name Day Card to go
with your gift. You will need
Acrobat Reader to view and print the card.
|
|
|
2009 (June to
December)
Well-known Greek
Orthodox Name Days - Courtesy of
www.eortologio.gr
|
NAME - HONOUREE - NAME DAY |
DATE |
MONTH |
|
ANARGYROS (1) (Anargyros, Anargyri) |
28 |
June |
|
GERMANOS (Germanos) |
28 |
June |
|
PAVLOS (Pavlos, Paul, Pavlina) |
29 |
June |
|
PETER (Petros, Peter, Paul,
Petroula, Petrina, Petras,
Petrakis, Petrinos, Petria,
Petra) |
29 |
June |
|
APOSTOLOS (1) (Apostolis,
Apostolos, Tolis, Lea, Lia,
Apostolina, Polina) |
30 |
June |
|
ANARGYROS (2) (Anargyros, Anargyri) |
1 |
July |
|
COSMAS (1) (Kosmas) |
1 |
July |
|
DAMIANOS (1) (Damianos, Damian) |
1 |
July |
|
IRINI (2) (Eirene, Eirini, Irene, Irini) |
28 |
July |
|
SOTIRIS (Sotiria, Sotiris) |
6 |
August |
|
DESPOINA (2) (- for married women - Despoina, Deppy,
Pipina, Despo, Pepi, Zepo) |
15 |
August |
|
MARY (Maria - for married women, Mary, Maro, Marios,
Mario, Mariori, Marika, Maroula,
Maritsa, Margiori, Marigoula,
Manio, Marietta, Marousa, Marsia,
Marcy) |
15 |
August |
|
PANAGIOTIS (Panayotis,
Panagiotis, Panos, Panikos,
Panagiota, Pani, Tota, Toula) |
15 |
August |
|
APOSTOLOS (2) (Apostolis,
Apostolos, Tolis, Lea, Lia,
Apostolina, Polina) |
16 |
August |
|
STAMATIA (2) (Stamatia, Matoula,
Mato, Stamela, Stamatina,
Stamata, Matina, Mata) |
16 |
August |
|
STAMATIS (2) (Stamatis, Stamos) |
16 |
August |
|
ALEXANDER (Alexis, Alex, Alexander, Alexandros,
Alekos) |
30 |
August |
|
THEODORA (2) (Thodora, Theodora) |
11 |
September |
|
STAVROS (Stavros, Stavroula, Steven) |
14 |
September |
|
SOPHIA (Sofia, Sonia, Fifi,
Sofianos, Sofoula, Sofoulis) |
17 |
September |
|
DIONISIS (1) (Dionysius,
Dionysis, Dionisos, Dionysios,
Dionysos, Nionios, Denis,
Dennis, Denise, Sissy) |
3 |
October |
|
DIMITRA (Dimitra, Dimitria, Dimi) |
26 |
October |
|
DIMITRIOS (1) (Demetris,
Dimitris, Dimitrios, Jim, James,
Mitros) |
26 |
October |
|
ANARGYROS (3) (Anargyros, Anargyri) |
1 |
November |
|
COSMAS (2) (Kosmas) |
1 |
November |
|
DAMIANOS (2) (Damianos, Damian) |
1 |
November |
|
GREGORY (2) (Grigoris, Grigorios, Gregory, Gregorios,
Gregoris, Golis, Gregor) |
14 |
November |
|
PHILIP (Filippos, Philippos, Philip) |
14 |
November |
|
PHILIPIA (Philippia, Philippa, Filio, Phylis) |
14 |
November |
|
DESPOINA (1) (- for unmarried women - Despoina, Deppy,
Pipina, Despo, Pepi, Zepo) |
21 |
November |
|
MARY (Maria - for unmarried women, Mary, Maro, Marios,
Mario, Mariori, Marika, Maroula,
Maritsa, Margiori, Marigoula,
Marietta, Marousa, Marsia,
Marcy) |
21 |
November |
|
CATHRINE (Aikaterine, Aikaterini, Katerina, Kaiti,
Karen, Caren, Carin, Caron,
Caronn, Carren, Carrin, Carron,
Carryn, Caryn, Carynn, Carynne,
Karan, Kari, Karin, Karna, Karon,
Karren, Karrin, Karryn, Karyn,
Kerran, Kerrin, Kerron, Kerrynn,
Keryn, Kerynne) |
25 |
November |
|
STILIANOS (Stelios, Stylianos,
Stella, Stelia) |
26 |
November |
|
ANDREW (Andreas, Andrea, Andrew) |
30 |
November |
|
BARBARA (Barbara, Varvara) |
4 |
December |
|
NIKOLETA (Nikoletta) |
6 |
December |
|
NIKOLINA (Nikolina) |
6 |
December |
|
NIKOS (1) (Nikolaos, Nikoleta,
Nikos, Nicholas, Nicolas, Nick) |
6 |
December |
|
ANN (1) (Anna, Annita, Anneta, Aneza) |
9 |
December |
|
DIONISIS (2) (Dionysius,
Dionysis, Dionisos, Dionysios,
Dionysos, Nionios, Denis,
Dennis, Denise, Sissy) |
17 |
December |
|
ANASTASIA (Anastasia) |
22 |
December |
|
NATASA (Natasa, Tesa, Tasa,
Tatia, Sia) |
22 |
December |
|
CHRISTINA (2) (Christina, Christy, Chris, Christyne,
Christoli) |
25 |
December |
|
CHRISTOS (Christos, Christis) |
25 |
December |
|
CHRYSTALLA (Chrystalla, Hrystalla, Chrystalia) |
25 |
December |
|
EMMANOUELA (1) (Emmanouela) |
25 |
December |
|
EMMANUEL (1) (Emmanouil, Manolis,
Manuella, Emma) |
25 |
December |
|
CONSTANTIOS (Costantios,
Kostantios, Costantina,
Kostantina, Dia) |
26 |
December |
|
EMMANOUELA (2) (Emmanouela) |
26 |
December |
|
EMMANUEL (2) (Emmanouil, Manolis,
Manuella, Emma) |
26 |
December |
|
PANAGIOTIS (Panayotis,
Panagiotis, Panos, Panagiota,
Panikos) |
26 |
December |
|
STEPHANOS (Stefanos, Stephania, Steven, Stefania,
Stephen, Stevan, Stevenson,
Stevon, Stevyn, Steve, Stefan,
Stephan, Steffen, Stefon) |
27 |
December |
|
|
|
|
