Why Not Celebrate Your Name?

All of us have that one special day each year when we get to pick our favorite restaurant for dinner, our family and friends shower us with presents/wishes for a good day, and our grandmothers bake us special treats. Though its just once a year, the excitement of having a whole day solely dedicated to our happiness is enough to pull us through the rest of the year. For most people, the day I just described resembles their birthday. But for Greeks, the most important day of the year is your name day. In fact, birthdays are hardly celebrated at all in Greece.

I know what you must be thinking, and to be quite honest I thought it was weird at first, too. How could some day dedicated to a name be half as fun as the anniversary of your birth? Well, to answer that question I should first explain what exactly a name day is.

Similarly to how Catholics receive a confirmation name, Greeks are given a name when they are baptized as an infant. The baby is named after a saint, and each saint has a specific day of the year dedicated to his memory. This day, as the name would suggest, is the person's name day.

For example, my Greek name is Eftihia (meaning "joy"), after the saint Eftihios. Because my patron saint's day of remembrance is April 6th, my name day is this Thursday. My grandmother's Greek name is also Eftihia- its customary in Greek culture to name your first daughter after her maternal grandmother- so we get to share the same name day. 

My family enjoys name days so much that we have even given non-Greek people a Greek name just so we have the opportunity to celebrate another name day. My boyfriend as well as my sister's and my friends have all been given Greek names of their own, based on their American names. (But don't worry, all of them were pretty excited to have this new name, seeing as they were practically given a second birthday.)

There are many traditions associated with these name days that bare much resemblance to American birthdays. Special treats, parties, and- perhaps most importantly- gifts accompany every celebration. Fellow Greeks will wish the celebrants a good day much like you'd send a happy birthday text; swap the word "birthday" with "name day" and you're good to go. One of the only differences between a regular birthday and a name day is the substitution of cake for the Greek pastry, halva.

My grandmother, who loves name days so much that she never forgets any of my family members', always makes this dessert on our shared day. Halva is made up of pretty much just semolina and corn oil, but the simple flavor is so addictive that you'll never want to stop eating the stuff. Every year, my family looks forward to this exclusive indulgence; its one of those foods you only really get to eat once a year. And though I won't be home to gorge myself with halva this Thursday, I'm hoping to get some leftover scraps at Easter. 

a picture of some nice-looking halva (the Greek dessert pastry)

*photo courtesy of Kayla Clements*

So if you're ever curious as to what your Greek name and saint might be (or you just want an excuse to celebrate your life twice a year), give it a quick Google search. If the partying and presents aren't worth it, the halva definitely is.