Greek Traditions Community

What do name days mean?

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kcixcy

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Hi everyone! My husband is Greek and I know name days are super important in the culture but I still don't really understand what they mean and what is their significance. Can someone explain it?
 
Firstly, how lucky are you being married to a Greek.
Your name day is a celebration and remembrance of the saints day, your Christian name,
 
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Blue & White said:
Firstly, how lucky are you being married to a Greek.
Your name day is a celebration and remembrance of the saints day, your Christian name,
Click to expand...
Blue & White said:
Firstly, how lucky are you being married to a Greek.
Your name day is a celebration and remembrance of the saints day, your Christian name,
Click to expand...
Well said!
 
Joni T. said:
Well said!
Click to expand...
Yup, it's such a huge deal that a lot of Greeks in Greece don't celebrate birthdays, but they celebrate Name Days as though they are birthdays. I know I had an uncle from Greece, and it was a given there was an Open House at his home on that day when we were all welcomed to drop by to wish him "Chronia Pola". ("many years."... Always plenty of food to be had. So many of our traditions are tied into religious practices...being Greek Orthodox is not only about the religion but also about the traditions of Greeks. One of our priests, a converted Southern Baptist came to Orthodoxy because of the richness of the religion, but he had no clue he'd sometimes get comments like "You aren't Greek?!!! It's my grandparents who were born in Greece, so I'm actually second generation, and I still cherish the traditions. Enjoy being married to a Greek, and if you ever have any questions on traditions or Greek cooking, check out. https://www.greekboston.com/
where there's a wealth of information on "anything Greek" As for the religion, I really think it should be called "Orthodox" not specifically Greek Orthodox...that confuses a lot of people.
 
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Joni T. said:
Yup, it's such a huge deal that a lot of Greeks in Greece don't celebrate birthdays, but they celebrate Name Days as though they are birthdays. I know I had an uncle from Greece, and it was a given there was an Open House at his home on that day when we were all welcomed to drop by to wish him "Chronia Pola". ("many years."... Always plenty of food to be had. So many of our traditions are tied into religious practices...being Greek Orthodox is not only about the religion but also about the traditions of Greeks. One of our priests, a converted Southern Baptist came to Orthodoxy because of the richness of the religion, but he had no clue he'd sometimes get comments like "You aren't Greek?!!! It's my grandparents who were born in Greece, so I'm actually second generation, and I still cherish the traditions. Enjoy being married to a Greek, and if you ever have any questions on traditions or Greek cooking, check out. https://www.greekboston.com/
where there's a wealth of information on "anything Greek" As for the religion, I really think it should be called "Orthodox" not specifically Greek Orthodox...that confuses a lot of people.
Click to expand...
All of our Greek traditions are religious based.
If you want to be known as Orthodox only without the Greek then you should refer to yourself as an Eastern Orthodox Christian.
 
My 9 year old says it’s his Saints birthday :)haha
 
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There you how smart is your 9 year old. You 9 year old must be GREEK ORTHODOX!!!
 
Name days are a super special day! Its when we celebrate our names, which we were given when we were baptized, which is the day we were brought into the Greek religion. Everyone wishes you a happy name day, you get gifts, and you usually have a party or dinner to celebrate
 
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What are your favorite name day traditions?

I’ve always loved the tradition of celebrating name days. In my family, they’re just as meaningful as birthdays, and sometimes even more fun because they bring everyone together in a different way.

When a big name day comes around, especially one that several family members share, we often turn it into a full family gathering. For example, on a name day like Nick/Nikolas, where there might be multiple people celebrating, it becomes almost like a mini family holiday. Someone hosts, there’s plenty of food, and everyone comes by to wish the celebrants “chronia polla.”

I also like the simplicity of the tradition. Even if there isn’t a big gathering, people still call or send messages to acknowledge the day.

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Why do Greeks celebrate name days?

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