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Thank you for visiting and Happy Nameday to all of you whose nameday
New to nameday celebration? In short, it's an age-old European custom in which those with the same or similar first name have one day a year assigned as their nameday, and it is observed and celebrated by all the namesakes in the same manner as birthdays. As a matter of fact, in some countries namedays are considered even more important than birthdays. And, if a person was given a first name that doesn't appear in the nameday calendar, he or she may very well be feeling left out for not being able to celebrate his or her nameday at all.We introduced this popular European custom here in the U.S. back in 1982 by publishing the first edition of "The American Name Day Calendar of First Names". 
More than 2000 first names were listed on their assigned days and alphabetically in the index.
At that time, assembling a calendar of 2000 first names and assigning names to proper days was not an easy task. We did not have the luxury of Internet for obtaining necessary information instantaneously - as it now can be done with just a few keystrokes and a few clicks of a mouse via Internet. Research had to be done "the old fashion way"; from books, libraries, European calendars, Church calendars, birth registration records, etc. However, the end result was well worth the effort: "The American Name Day Calendar" was "here at long last" - as we say in its 1982 Introduction page. It should be noted that we have since shortened and Americanized the two-word title phrase "Name Day" itself to "Nameday" which, as an one-word form and as an observance, is similar to "birthday", e.g.: "George's birthday" - "George's nameday". Incidentally, "George" was the very first name to which we assigned a nameday 
when the assemble of the first edition of the 1982 calendar began.The date, February 22, was chosen in honor of the birthday of President George Washington. It was only fitting because he was also the very first President of the United States. Thus, while we honor his birthday, all the Georges in the U.S. celebrate their name on that day. "Isabella" was also assigned to Feb. 22, honoring the birthday of Isabella Beecher Hooker (1822-1907), an eminent American suffragist who, like Susan B. Anthony, also fought for women's rights in the nineteenth century. (February 22 in the 1982 edition is shown on the right) Not all the namedays in the American Nameday Calendar are based on birthdays or other important days of notable people, but when you think about of the name "Irving", there is no one more "American", in our opinion, than the legendary songwriter Irving Berlin. Thus, honoring his birthday, we assigned May 11 as the nameday of all the Irvings in the U.S. By the way, his God Bless America" is just one of the many great patriotic songs he wrote during his long life. He was born in 1888 and died in 1989 at the age of 101. All in all, he wrote more than 1000 songs. And the lyrics in one of the songs could also, quite appropriately, describe how long his music will last: "...not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year, but Always!" 
Like to learn more about nameday celebration? It would be our pleasure to give you a quick online tour right here on our website. We believe that once you have finished the "tour", you just can't wait for the next nameday of someone you know - so you could surprise that person with a nameday greeting.To begin the tour, click on the " Intro-History". It will give you a look at the historical background of this popular European tradition, and will explain how names to dates were assigned. Or, if it appears to be a little bit too long and "boooring" for you to read right now, view the introduction of the "1982 Edition" instead - it's a short summary covering briefly both the past and the present of the nameday observance. Or yet another quick way to familiarize yourself with this celebration is to view questions and answers in the "F.A.Q.". After that you are ready to... ...Celebrate Namedays! |
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Copyright © 1981-2009 M.H.Pekkola. All rights reserved, exclusive of the musical arrangement and recording of the song, "Happy Birthday To You": © 2006 Paavo Nikkilä. The 3D Animated American Flag provided by Free Gifts and Animations However, you may download and print pages of the American Nameday (or Name Day) Calendar of First Names for your own personal, non-commercial use only. This page is  validated.
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