A Greek name day has no written rules, but it does have customs that every Greek recognises. It is celebrated much like a birthday, minus the cake and candles, with one big difference: you don't need an invitation to go and wish someone well. Here is what usually happens, bearing in mind that every family and every region has its own traditions.
From early morning: calls and messages
The day usually starts with good wishes. Relatives and friends phone or send a message from the morning onwards, and today many wishes also arrive through social media. The standard wish is “Chronia polla!” (literally “many years”), and the person celebrating usually replies “Efcharisto!” (“thank you”) or “Na 'sai kala!” (“be well”). You will find more wishes in the guide to how to wish someone a happy name day, and to make sure you miss no one, check whose name day it is today and tomorrow.
The open house
The traditional way to celebrate is the “open house” (ανοιχτό σπίτι): anyone who wants to offer their wishes can drop by the celebrant's home without an invitation and be treated as a guest. Others prefer to invite friends to a taverna, a restaurant or a bar, and many move the gathering to a more convenient day, such as the following Friday or the weekend.
If you are not sure whether someone is holding an open house, just ask: “Giortazeis fetos?” (“Are you celebrating this year?”). Not everyone celebrates every year. After a recent bereavement in the family, for example, many people do not celebrate at all, and a quiet word of good wishes is enough.
Treats and gifts
- The celebrant treats the guests. On a name day it is the host who looks after the guests, not the other way round: depending on the time and the occasion, there may be sweets, drinks, food and even music.
- Gifts are usually modest. Visitors bring something small, such as flowers, sweets or a bottle of wine. For a child or teenager, a godparent or relative may give pocket money instead of a present.
- Birthday and name day together. When a birthday falls close to the name day, many people hold a single celebration for both.
At church
For those who are religious, the day often includes church. Every church celebrates the feast of the saint it is dedicated to, with vespers on the eve and the Divine Liturgy in the morning. Churches of Saint Nicholas, for instance, celebrate on 6 December, and many a Nikos and Nikoleta attends. Festal vespers often include the artoklasia, the blessing of five loaves together with wine and oil, after which the bread is shared among the congregation. In villages the feast of the church is often the local festival (panigyri) as well; see the guide to patron saints of Greek cities.
At school and at work
The celebration does not stay at home. At school children often bring sweets to share with their classmates, and at work the person celebrating usually treats colleagues to sweets or coffee. If you work with Greeks, it is worth knowing that a wish on the right day is much appreciated, and that the celebrant will probably bring something sweet to the office.
A few practical tips
- When a name day falls on a major feast or a public holiday, such as Maria on 15 August, many people are away or at a family meal, so a call or a message is often the most practical way to send your wishes.
- Some names have more than one date. If you don't know which one your friend keeps, see the guide to names with more than one name day, or simply ask.
- If you visit, a small treat or a flower is plenty. What matters most is that you remembered.