What are name days, what makes this holiday interesting? First, do not confuse them with birthdays. These dates are completely different. Birthday is the day, month and year when a person was born. Name day is the day of the church commemoration of this or that saint, the day of his memory. Their list is presented in Saints (in another way of the Month), and the alphabetical listing is in the Namebook. According to religious traditions, a newborn baby is named after a saint, before the day of remembrance of which he was born, or on whose holiday a person was baptized. This is the name day, and the Christian on this day is called the birthday person. In a figurative meaning, this word has become synonymous with the combination "hero of the occasion." Let's see in the first week of the New Year and then whom should be honored.
1st of January
The name day in January is celebrated by people whose guardian angels are recorded for this month in Saints. First of all, these are men bearing the name
Ilya (Elijah). It is given in honor of the Monk Ilya Pechersky, who, among other things, was the prototype of the very Ilya of Muromets that was immortalized in ancient Russian epics and epics. He lived in the 12th century; he was known as an extraordinary strongman. According to legend, this hero was immovable for more than 30 years. And he was healed not just by “passing potions”, but Jesus himself with two apostles. After many feats of arms, Ilya, whose name day is celebrated on January 1, took monasticism at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. He was canonized in the XVII century (1643). On the same day they celebrate the memory of their saints Boniface, Timothy and Gregory.
January 2
Those who are named Ignat, Ivan, Danila, Anton continue to celebrate name days in January. What saints are they associated with? The first is Ignatus the God-bearer, who is especially revered in Bulgaria. He was a disciple of
John the Evangelist himself, bishop of Antioch, a holy martyr. The saint earned his nickname - the God-Bearer - by the fact that Jesus was holding his child in his arms. But he is a holy martyr because he died a terrible death in the name of the Lord. Having been captured by order of the emperor Troyan, he underwent brutal torture and was thrown at the mercy of the lions. Also 2 numbers celebrate name day in January of Danila. The clergy point to the prophet Daniel as the main spiritual person, whose memory is especially revered at this time. John of Kronstadt the Wonderworker continues the men's birthday in January. They pray to him, asking to be cured of drunkenness, madness, various diseases, because it was thanks to his endless patience, philanthropy and healing in the name of the holy faith that he became famous.
January 3rd
We continue to study the Name-book. What
men's birthday in January fall on the 3rd? This is Leontius, Peter, Nikita, Procopius. Peter of Moscow, aka the Wonderworker of All Russia, is a person who has been known since ancient times. He was the first Kiev Metropolitan and Moscow, lived in the XIII century. He painted icons, including the first miraculous in Russia - “Petrovskaya”. He was distinguished by special virtues, advised Ivan Kalita to build the first stone church in Moscow in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He himself made a stone coffin in one of the walls of the church, where he was buried. Since then, over the course of many centuries, no serious state affair has been complete without prayers at the tomb of St. Peter. One can not help but recall Procopius of Vyatka, listing who still has name days in January. The masculine names - Prokop, Prokofiy, Prokopiy - are sanctified by the high Christian feat of
this holy fool who, in his early youth, left home and devoted himself to serving the Lord. He was a seer, predicted many events in the life of his city, healed the sick. All that people gave him - money, food, clothes - the saint handed out to the poor, being content with everything necessary. He was canonized for his righteous life.
The Righteous and the Martyrs
Ulyana, Anastasia, Antonina, Matryona,
Tatyana’s name days are celebrated in January. Women's names remind us of those heroines of the past who suffered a lot for faith, experienced cruel torments, but remained firm and unshakable in their love for Christ. So, January 3 is the day of remembrance of Ulyana Vyazemskaya (XV century). Opposing to become a concubine of the murderer of her legal spouse, she preferred the brutal death of a shameful life. The great martyr Anastasia, nicknamed the Counselor, showed her life as a wonderful example of lack of bondage, purity of spiritual and bodily, fidelity to the covenants of Christianity. She visited prisons, encouraged prisoners, among whom there were many Christians, because the saint lived at a time when the teachings of Jesus only spread throughout cities and villages. In addition to the gift of living compassionate words, the Lord endowed her with the gift of healing. They commemorate Anastasia the Decreeder on January 4, and 9 - the holy new martyr Antonina Bryanskaya, who was shot in the terrible 1937 on charges of church conspiracy and participation in activities against the Soviet government. January 11 - the name day of Matrona, which the people called only mother. On the 25th, Tatyana’s day, a fun holiday for students. And he was named so in honor of the Virgin Tatiana, an early Christian martyr, torn to pieces by the pagans of Rome because she did not want to participate in their rites.
Baptism and Epiphany
Church names in January are associated with such important events for every Christian as Baptism and Epiphany. It comes on January XIX, the people simply call it “Ivan,” or “Jordan.” A feast dedicated to the baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan by
John the Baptist is dedicated
. Then the Lord revealed to everyone His threefold nature: in the form of His Son, the Holy Spirit, who appeared as a dove, and God the Father, speaking from heaven and proclaiming of Jesus. Christ Himself, sinless in nature, did not need water baptism. But he taught people a lesson in true humility and obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father. Water on the eve of the celebration is consecrated by the ministers of the church. Believers stock up with it for the whole year to save themselves from illnesses, sprinkle their homes, etc. The wonderful property of baptismal water has long been noticed: it has not spoiled for many years.
Conclusion
Of course, those names and dates that are listed in this article are far from a complete list of the January birthday. There is practically not a single day in a month that would not have a church holiday. And to know exactly when your name day is, look at the Saints! Or buy a church calendar - all saints revered in Orthodoxy are listed there.