What is the name day, than this holiday is interesting? First, do not confuse them with the birthdays. These dates are completely different. Birthday is the number, month and year when a person was born. Name day - the day of the church commemoration of this or that saint, the day of his memory. The list of them is presented in the Svyattsy (in another way, the Mesyatses), and the alphabetic enumeration is in the Imenoslov. According to religious traditions, the newborn baby is named in honor of the saint, before the day of memory of which he was born, or on whose holiday the person's baptism fell. This is the name day, and the Christian on this day is called a birthday. In figurative meaning, this word has become synonymous with the combination of "the originator of the triumph". Let's see, in the first week of the New Year and then who should be honored.
1st of January
Name days in January are celebrated by people whose guardian angels are recorded for this month in the Sacred. First of all, these are men who bear the name of Ilya (Elijah). It is given in honor of St. Ilya Pechyorsky, who, among other things, was the prototype of the very Ilya of Murom that is immortalized in ancient Russian epics and epics. He lived in the 12th century, he was known as an extraordinary strongman. According to legends, this hero was immovable for more than 30 years. And he was healed not just by the "wicked gaolers", but by Jesus himself with the two apostles. After many feats of arms, Ilya, whose name-days in January are celebrated on January 1, took monastic vows in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. He was canonized in the 17th century (1643). On the same day, they commemorate their saints Vonifatia, Timothy and Gregory.
January 2
Continue to celebrate the name-day in January, those who are called Ignat, Ivan, Danila, Anton. With what kind of saints are they related? The first is Ignat the God-bearer, who is especially revered in Bulgaria. He was a disciple of John the Evangelist himself, Bishop of Antioch, Holy Martyr. His nickname - the God-bearer - the saint deserved by the fact that his child was held by Jesus. And he was a martyr because he died a terrible death in the name of the Lord. Being seized by the order of the emperor Troyan, he underwent severe torture and was thrown to the tattering of lions. Also 2 numbers celebrate the name day in January of Danila. The saints point to the prophet Daniel as the chief cleric, whose memory is especially venerated at this time. John of Kronstadt, the Wonderworker, continues his male name-day in January. He is prayed for, begging to be cured of drunkenness, madness, various diseases, for it is by his infinite patience, philanthropy and healing for the sake of faith that the saint is glorified.
3 January
We will continue to study the Imenoslov. What are the men's namesakes in January fall on the third day? These are Leontius, Peter, Nikita, Procopius. Peter the Great, who is also the Wonderworker of All Russia, is a person known from ancient times. He was the first Kiev Metropolitan and Moscow, lived in the XIII century. He painted icons, including the first miraculous in Russia - "Petrovskaya". Differed special virtues, advised Ivan Kalita to build in Moscow the first stone church in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. He made himself a stone coffin in one of the walls of the church, where he was buried. Since then, for many centuries, not a single serious state affair has been carried out without prayers at the tomb of St. Peter. One can not help recalling Procopius Vyatsky, enumerating who has the name-day in January. Male names - Prokop, Prokofy, Procopius - are sanctified by the high Christian feat of this holy fool, who in his early youth left the house and devoted himself to serving the Lord. He was a visionary, predicted many events in the life of his city, healed the sick. All that was given to him by people-money, food, clothing-was distributed to the poor by the saint, he was content only with the necessary. He was canonized for his righteous life.
Righteous and martyrs
Mark and Uliana, Anastasia, Antonina, Matryona, Tatiana's name-day in January. Women's names remind us of those heroines of the past who suffered much for the faith, suffered severe torments, but remained firm and unshakable in their love for Christ. So, on January 3 - the day of memory of Ulyana Vyazemskaya (XV century). Resisting the fact that he became the concubine of the murderer of his lawful husband, she preferred the cruel death of a shameful life. A great example of lovelessness, purity of spirit and body, faithfulness to the covenants of Christianity was shown by the life of the great martyr Anastasia, nicknamed the Usoeshitelnitsey. She visited prisons, encouraged the prisoners, among whom there were many Christians, since the saint lived in those times when the teaching of Jesus only spread throughout the cities and villages. In addition to the gift of a living compassionate word, the Lord endowed it with the gift of healing. They remember Anastasia the Patron on January 4, and 9 - the holy new martyr Antonina Bryanskaya, shot in a terrible 1937 on charges of church conspiracy and participation in activities against Soviet power. January 11 is the birthday of Matrona, which was popularly called Mother. On the 25th - Tatyana's Day, a cheerful holiday of students. And he named it in honor of the virgin Tatiana, martyr of the early Christian, torn to pieces by the pagans of Rome for not wanting to participate in their rites.
Baptism and Epiphany
Church feast days in January are associated with such important events for every Christian as Baptism and Epiphany. It comes on the 19th of January, in the people it is simply called "Ivan", or "Jordan". Dedicated to the feast of the baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan by John the Baptist. Then the Lord revealed to all his triple nature: in the form of his Son, the Holy Spirit that appeared as a dove, and God the Father, speaking from heaven and proclaiming about Jesus. Christ himself, sinless by nature, was not required to baptize the water. But he taught the people a lesson of true humility and obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father. The water on the eve of the feast is consecrated by the servants of the church. Believers reserve it for the whole year to save themselves from diseases, sprinkle dwellings, etc. For a long time the wonderful property of Epiphany water has been noticed: it has not been spoiled for many years.
Conclusion
Of course, those names and dates that are listed in this article are not a complete list of the January birthday. Practically there is not a single day in the month for which there would not be a church holiday. And to know exactly when your name-day, look in the Holy! Or buy a church calendar - there are listed all the saints venerated in Orthodoxy.