GREEK NAME DAYS

　　希腊人的“取名日”

　　by Jane Scherer

　　Herakles, Alexander, Socrates, and Helen are ancient names that bring to mind images of Greek heroes and legends. These names trace their origins to the beginning of Greek culture and are still used today. Names are very important to Greeks, and celebrating a Name Day is a special part of Greek life. Instead of birthdays, most Greeks celebrate the day dedicated to the saint whose name they bear. For example, a baby born on March 5 is named Daniel; his Name Day would be December 17 because that is the feast day of his patron, St. Daniel. A girl who is named Mina might be born on August 12, but her Name Day is November 11.

　　When the Greeks embraced Christianity, they gave a saint's name to every day of the year. Today, 98 percent of Greeks belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, and religion is woven into their everyday lives. Villagers will ask a priest to bless their land before they plant their crops. In the cities, a special service is held before construction begins on a new building, and all Greek ships in the vast shipping empire carry a picture of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, somewhere on board.

　　In the early days of Christianity in Greece, Name Days were observed as Saint's Days. Later, they became individual Name Days, which were more important than a person's actual day of birth. Small children up to the age of 12 may still celebrate their birthdays with parties and gifts, but this is regarded more as a Western custom.

　　Choosing a child's name is an important event in Greece. It is a blend of tradition and religion. The first boy born into a family will be named after his father's father. The first girl will be named for her father's mother. A second son will bear the name of his mother's father, and a second daughter the mother's mother. Any children after that will carry the names of uncles and aunts who have died or who cannot have children.

　　In Greek shops, calendars are sold with lists of names for every month of the year so that family and friends can quickly find a child's Name Day. Usually it falls on the same date each year. Although we may send humorous greeting cards, Greek cards feature beautifully colored paintings of the saints along with inspiring messages. It is considered polite to remember friends' Name Days by calling or sending greetings.

　　A friend celebrating a Name Day will tell you,Giortazo simera , which means, I'm celebrating today. The traditional reply is, Chronia polla , which means “Many years,” or “Many happy returns.”

　　An adult who is celebrating will give a party and invite friends and acquaintances alike to share refreshments such as coffee and cake. Guests invited to a Name Day celebration usually bring small gifts of sweets or flowers. In the workplace, a person might take the day off or bring treats to his or her boss and coworkers.

　　For children, celebrations may be more elaborate. Family and friends bring gifts. The traditional gift for Name Day is shoes. Even today, godparents will often give shoes to their godchild on this occasion. In the past, children were happy to receive new shoes because that was the only pair they would get each year.

　　In small villages, a special church service is held for all those celebrating their Name Days together. For example, all boys and men named George, after St. George, will be honored on the same day. Church bells will ring out to let neighboring villagers know a festival is being held.

　　Every town and community also has a patron saint. For example, St. Dimitrios is the patron saint of the town of Thessaloniki. On its Name Day, the entire community will have parades, and traditional costumes will be worn. Afterwards prayers will be offered to the saint, special foods will be served, and music and dancing will take place.

　　赫拉克勒斯、亚历山大、苏格拉底和海伦是古代的名字，它们使人联想到希腊的英雄和传奇。这些名字，源于希腊早期文化，今天人们仍在使用。名字对于希腊人是很重要的，庆祝“取名日”是希腊人生活中的重要事情。大多数希腊人不是庆祝他们的生日，而是庆祝名字所取自的圣人的日子。例如，一个生于3月5日的男孩，名字叫丹尼尔,他的“取名日”是12月17日，因为这一天是他的保护神圣丹尼尔的宗教日。一个叫做米娜的女孩，可能生于8月12日，但她的“取名日”却是11月11日。

　　当希腊人最初信奉基督教时，他们把圣人的名字寄予一年的每一天。今天，98%的希腊人信奉东正教，宗教意识融入他们的日常生活。农民在种地前要请牧师为他们的土地祈祷，市民在盖新房前要举行特殊的仪式。希腊的所有海船上都挂上圣尼可拉斯（水手的保护神）的像。

　　在信奉基督教早期，希腊人把圣徒节作为取名日来庆祝。后来他们每个人有自己的取名节，这个节日比他们实际出生日更重要。12岁以前的小孩仍会庆祝生日，举办生日聚会，送生日礼物，但更多的是出于西方的习俗。

　　在希腊给孩子起名是一件重要的事情，是传统和宗教的结合。一个家庭的第一个男孩，要取他爷爷的名字，第一个女孩取她奶奶的名字；第二个男孩取自他姥爷的名字，第二个女孩取自她姥姥的名字。后面其他孩子的名字取自已故的或膝下无子的叔叔、姑姑或舅舅等人的名字。

　　希腊商店卖的日历上都列有一年中每个月份每一天的圣徒名字（通常每年不变），这样家长和朋友能够很快查找孩子的取名日。尽管为庆祝取名日人们可以送一些幽默的贺卡，但希腊的贺卡上都画有色彩精美的圣徒像及激励人的话。人们认为在朋友的取名日打电话或寄卡表示祝贺是礼貌的表现。

　　过取名日的朋友会跟你说“今天是我的庆祝日”，传统的回答是“祝你长寿”或“长命百岁”。

　　过取名日的成年人要举办聚会，邀请朋友或熟人参加，分享咖啡蛋糕之类的点心。应邀的客人常常会带一些糖果或鲜花之类的小礼物。在工作单位，过取名日的人可以放假一天，或款待他的老板和同事。

　　对于孩子，庆祝活动则更精心些，家长和朋友要送给孩子礼物。取名日的传统礼物是鞋。即使是今天，教父教母给教子的礼物仍常常是鞋。过去，孩子们得到新鞋是非常高兴的，因为这是一年里他们能够得到的惟一一双鞋。

　　在小村庄，要为所有在这一天过取名日的人举行特殊的教堂活动。例如，所有取自圣徒乔治之名的名叫乔治的男孩和成年男人，在同一天庆祝取名日。教堂的钟声会告诉邻近的村民这儿有庆祝活动。

　　每个镇和社区都有一个圣徒保护神。例如，萨洛尼卡城的保护神是St. Dimitrios。在St. Dimitrios圣徒日这一天，社区要举行游行，穿传统服装。然后人们向圣徒祈祷获得圣餐，还有音乐和舞会。