Name day

[CTG]

Do you celebrate your name day? When is it? In Hungary, name day is (almost) as important as birthday.

Name days of Hungarian pipsqueaks:

Akoss Poo: 27^th February
Usrin: 30^th November (?)
Zak McKracken: 29^th April or 29^th June
CTG: 29^th June

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

Akoss Poo: 28^th February

27^th February. 28^th February only in leap years. 

At work, we often celebrate the namedays of each other, since we know that from the calendar, unlike the birthdays of each other.

[CTG]

Akoss Poo: 28^th February

27^th February. 28^th February only in leap years. 

Whoops... indeed.

[CTG]

Szilvia day is coming on Wednesday, so it's time to disturb my former favorite teenager chick (she's already 21). 

[BonzaiJoe]

Nope, we don't have name days here. It sounds nice though.

[CTG]

Nope, we don't have name days here. It sounds nice though.

http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danske_navnedage

[BonzaiJoe]

Well, what would I know....

Anyway, we don't have it as a cultural phenomenon. Nobody I know pays any attention to the fact that there are name days.

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

Well, what would I know....

Anyway, we don't have it as a cultural phenomenon. Nobody I know pays any attention to the fact that there are name days.

Well, the English Wikipedia says about namedays:

Scandinavia

During medieval times name days were of little significance in the Nordic countries, except for the celebration of patron saints for various guilds. A more widespread celebration of name days began in the 17th century in Sweden, at first in the royal court and among aristocracy, but successively also among the general population. The Church of Sweden promoted celebration of name days over birthdays, as the latter was seen as a pagan tradition. Although the name day tradition never gained similar popularity in Denmark and Norway, it is occasionally celebrated.

You can see that there are big differences in popularity of namedays between countries...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_day

[zaqrack]

I never had my name day celebrated, so it is not entirely common in Hungary either.

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

My ex-girlfriend also said that they didn't celebrate namedays - but I think it is very rare in Hungary.

[BonzaiJoe]

Well, what would I know....

Anyway, we don't have it as a cultural phenomenon. Nobody I know pays any attention to the fact that there are name days.

Well, the English Wikipedia says about namedays:

Scandinavia

During medieval times name days were of little significance in the Nordic countries, except for the celebration of patron saints for various guilds. A more widespread celebration of name days began in the 17th century in Sweden, at first in the royal court and among aristocracy, but successively also among the general population. The Church of Sweden promoted celebration of name days over birthdays, as the latter was seen as a pagan tradition. Although the name day tradition never gained similar popularity in Denmark and Norway, it is occasionally celebrated.

You can see that there are big differences in popularity of namedays between countries...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_day

Well, Wikipedia can say whatever it wants, and when it comes to the 17th century, it definitely knows more than me, but reality is that nobody celebrates name days here, and only almanac geeks know when their own name day is.

That is - in my 28 years living in this country, I have never spoken to anyone who has been aware of their name day or been aware of others who thought anything of their name day, nor seen anything on television or heard anything on the radio or read anything in the newspaper about celebrations of name days.
As a scientist you will know that this data is significant enough to say, at least, that name days are not a notable cultural phenomenon - with an exception for secluded, rural communities which I have been in no contact with, and which are small enough to avoid the attention of any media, and where any kind of cultural practice might take place without my knowledge.

[CTG]

Well, what would I know....

Anyway, we don't have it as a cultural phenomenon. Nobody I know pays any attention to the fact that there are name days.

Well, the English Wikipedia says about namedays:

Scandinavia

During medieval times name days were of little significance in the Nordic countries, except for the celebration of patron saints for various guilds. A more widespread celebration of name days began in the 17th century in Sweden, at first in the royal court and among aristocracy, but successively also among the general population. The Church of Sweden promoted celebration of name days over birthdays, as the latter was seen as a pagan tradition. Although the name day tradition never gained similar popularity in Denmark and Norway, it is occasionally celebrated.

You can see that there are big differences in popularity of namedays between countries...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_day

Well, Wikipedia can say whatever it wants, and when it comes to the 17th century, it definitely knows more than me, but reality is that nobody celebrates name days here, and only almanac geeks know when their own name day is.

That is - in my 28 years living in this country, I have never spoken to anyone who has been aware of their name day or been aware of others who thought anything of their name day, nor seen anything on television or heard anything on the radio or read anything in the newspaper about celebrations of name days.
As a scientist you will know that this data is significant enough to say, at least, that name days are not a notable cultural phenomenon - with an exception for secluded, rural communities which I have been in no contact with, and which are small enough to avoid the attention of any media, and where any kind of cultural practice might take place without my knowledge.

So, a very late happy name day to Mr. Ostergaard! (1st May in Denmark)

This name day thing used to be a catholic bullshit in the middle age (the day of Saint X and Y), but since that we have plenty of new names without any religious origin - and still celebrating it. Whatever... it's a nice dedicated occasion to get drunk. Just like the Day of Pi / Labour / Fathers / Birds and Trees / etc...

[dreadnaut]

Can't find a St. Dreadnaut

[Usrin]

Usrin: 30^th November (?)

True! Of course I'm celebrating it, having good drinks and getting some presents from family members. But these are generally smaller, cheaper things compared to birthday presents (and it was like that already in my childhood). However, while I was working in Hungary, we widely celebrated name days with colleagues, but didn't care about each others' birthdays. (Birthdays would have been too difficult to keep in mind.)

In Norway, name days are shown in some calendars, but nobody uses this information for anything. People usually don't even know when are their own namedays.