Name day and angel's day - holidays that in modern Russia are not customary to celebrate because of the tradition that was once lost. They have lost their significance due to a confusion of concepts. Many associate these holidays with a person’s birthday. In order to understand what is the name day and the day of the angel, you need to pay attention to your own name, date of birth, as well as the history of Christianity.
What are name days?
Birthday is the moment of the physical birth of a new person, but this fact has nothing to do with name days. The latter gain their mysterious significance and power only after the newborn is called during baptism in the church. Therefore, name days are considered the day of spiritual birth, when the child is given the name of a certain saint. He becomes the patron saint of man for life.
In Russia, to find out what the person’s name was, they asked: “What is your holy name?” After the baby is baptized, he appears not only a patron saint, but also a guardian angel. It is generally accepted that name days and angel's day are one and the same. Name day is celebrated on the day of Saint, in whose honor the person is named. It often happens that this holiday coincides with a birthday or a short period of time separates them. This is due to the fact that the born child was called in honor of the great martyr. In modern society, children are given names that are not in the calendar (Orthodox calendar). Then the priest at baptism chooses a middle name for him, corresponding to the day of christening.
Day Angel
This holiday is strictly individual. It so happened that marks his baptized man, named after the saint during the sacrament. For example, if the baby (girl) received the name Anna, and she was born on November 20th, then her holy patron will be Saint Anna of Persia. In this case, the day of the angel according to the church calendar should be celebrated on the third of December. It happens that religious parents pre-select the name of the beloved saint and name the child in his honor.
On angel's day, it is customary to attend churches and temples, receive communion, confess, and children to instill knowledge of the need to honor their heavenly patron. This is a special Orthodox holiday that cannot be celebrated exactly like a birthday. If a person is religious, then it is advisable to celebrate angel's day not only with a feast, for example, with family or friends, but also with communion, going to church, and doing good deeds. If the holiday came at the time of Lent on weekdays, you should postpone the meal on Saturday or Sunday.
What are name days and angel's day for believers? This is a prayer reading to the patron saint. Surely during the meeting of the day of the angel, the manifestation of sincerity, the desire to receive forgiveness, true repentance of sins. The absence of self-interest, humility and repentance, kindness to others and to ourselves - that is what it means to be under the protection of higher powers and to receive help from them.
How to celebrate name day in Russia?
Many are interested in the question: "What are name days and how to celebrate them?" The tradition of celebrating this day appeared in the seventeenth century. In Russia, they prepared for the name day in advance. At home they brewed beer, made pies according to special recipes, kalachi, loaves. In the name day, the whole family without fail attended church, took communion, ordered and read prayers to the patron saint for health, laid candles. In the evening, they arranged a birthday party for the birthday party, to which honored guests - godparents were also invited. Table decoration served as a birthday cake without candles. Before the guests left, the birthday man handed out pastries to everyone: kalachi and pies with special fillings (cabbage, potatoes and others), which denoted the characteristic features of relatives.
Angel day and name day - what is the difference between these holidays? But she was not in Russia, as the birthday man was equally respectful to the patron and received gifts. Among church servants and royal persons, name-days were distinguished by namesake, which were widely celebrated.
Name Day in the 21st Century
In the modern world, name days and angel's day gradually began to lose common features. First, the newborn is given the name that parents most like. After some time, the baby is baptized according to Christian customs (or they generally skip this procedure if the parents are atheists - in this case, the name given at birth does not change). It happens that the day of baptism and name day do not coincide, then the two holidays lose their relationship.
Today, what is the name day and angel's day, many do not know, so they do not celebrate them. It is accepted to pay more attention to one's own birthday and the meaning of the name given when one was born. Some parents and adults have small parties in honor of their name day. This is correct if a person is baptized and named after a saint.
The difference between name day and Angel Day
In Christianity, Angel Day and Name Day are synonymous. However, there are still slight differences. When a baby is born, according to modern church rules, after forty days it should be brought to the temple for the baptismal ceremony. Previously, the choice of a name was taken very seriously and looked into the Orthodox calendar. If a child was born on the day of a certain saint, such a name was given to him. Parents thought that this was pleasing to God.
Angel day and name day - what is the difference between these holidays? For Christians, there is no difference, since it did not have much significance. The main thing is that in the process of baptism, a spiritual connection was established between the child and the patron saint. It turned out that the christening of the baby and the birthday coincided, and the line between these concepts was gradually erased. Epiphany water in the font cleanses the newborn, and the Lord gives the guardian angel at that moment to the person. That is why the baptismal procedure is also called patronage from above.
The meaning of the name day in Christianity
What are Christians' name days? In religious Orthodox families, they were considered a more important holiday than the day the baby was born. The reason is the baby’s name in the name of a holy man, which gives the baby the right to find spiritual and physical help, support, intercession from the patron. Along the way, the newborn receives a guardian angel, which is all the same saint. It was believed that celebrating name day once a year and honoring your angel is the duty of a baptized person.
The rite of baptism in Russia was customary to be held seven days after birth (at present, 40 days later). The number 7 is sacred to Christians. During this time, the creation of the world continued. In every Orthodox family, name-days are widely celebrated and paid tribute to the patron saint. Before the advent of Christianity, the name of the child was given, given the circumstances of his birth, appearance, color of eyes and hair, character.
We determine the date of the name day and day of the angel
Today, more than two thousand Christian names of holy people who have been canonized are known. Name days in October, as in the other months of the year, play an important role in a religious sense. Before choosing a name for the baby (for the baptismal ceremony), pay attention to the following point: many saints have different dates of honor, but the same name. To correctly determine the name day, select the closest date in the Orthodox calendar, which is celebrated as a saint's day. She should follow the baby’s birthday. What is a name day and angel's day for a modern person if he does not know anything about these holidays? You can answer this question yourself if there is a great desire to pay tribute to the memory of your guardian angel.
Name day in October
Finding out about your angel day is pretty simple. To do this, just look into the Orthodox calendar. Namedays in October are celebrated by all who bear the names of saints canonized by the church. Men: Alexey, Alexander, Andrey, Arkady, Anatoly, Boris, Bogdan, Vladimir, Veniamin, Vyacheslav, Gregory, Gabriel, Vladislav, Valentin. Among women celebrate name day in October, Sofia, Ulyana, Alina, Anna, Veronica, Vera, Taisiya, Irina, Zinaida, Tatiana.