Today, 19 December, is Saint Nicholas Day. My name day!
Wait! Wasn’t St Nick’s Day on 6 December?
Well, yes, today is actually 6 December on the Julian (“Old”) Calendar, which has a 13-day delay on the Gregorian Calendar. Orthodox Christian churches in ex-Yugoslavia and most of ex-USSR still go by the Julian Calendar, hence why these same places also do Christmas 13 days later on 7 January.
I remember when I was 6 years old when for the first time my grandmother gave me a present on this day. I thought she was going crazy that she was giving me a Christmas present 6 days earlier, so I brought this up. “No, my boy, it’s your name day today” is what she said to me. I was fine with that!
In true Orthodox Christian style, there’s a list of things that you’re NOT supposed to be doing today:
- Wash clothes
- Heavy tasks around the house, such as major repairs
- Hold sharp items such as knives, swords, scissors or axes lest you “cut” the peace and luck in your household
There’s a Macedonian belief that clearing your outstanding debts today will usher wellbeing and luck for the upcoming holiday period – in addition to Christmas, there is a whole lot of other holidays coming up in the next four weeks.
Today is also the most common “slava” (family patron saint day) amongst Serbs – so popular that the saying goes that half of all Serbs are celebrating today and the other half are visiting them to celebrate. So don’t bother your Serb friends or co-workers today as they’ve already clocked off.
Среќен именден! Срећна слава!
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