The following is an excerpt from the article titled, "Orthodox Worship," authored by Rev. Alciviadis C. Calivas, Th.D.
The Feasts of Saints
Every day of the year, the Church remembers and honors one or more of the holy men and women who dedicated themselves to the Lord with exemplary faith and perseverance. Besides the Theotokos and St. John the Baptist, whose several feasts dot the festal calendar, the Orthodox Church honors and venerates angels, martyrs, apostles, prophets, confessors, virgins, ascetics, bishops, and other clergy. The festivals of the apostles and those called equal to the apostles, the great martyrs and the great teachers and bishops of the Church are more universally observed.
The first recorded instance of a feast in honor of a saint comes to us from the middle of the second century. The primitive observance of feasts of saints consisted primarily of the remembrance of local martyrs and bishops; the feast was usually attached to their burial place. The placing of the relics of saints into consecrated Holy Tables stems from this ancient custom.
The saints are the concrete evidence of the transfiguring power of the Gospel. They are the first fruits of the heavenly life, the forerunners of the Kingdom to come. These festivals bring into clear focus for every believer the true meaning of discipleship; "grant me no more than to be a sacrifice for God ... It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but actually to be one" (St. Ignatius of Antioch).
According to an ancient liturgical custom, Orthodox parents name their newborn infants on the eighth day after birth. The name is traditionally chosen from the list of saints, as a sign of the child's entry into the unity of the Church and into the arena of the spiritual warfare which will commence in earnest with the sacrament of baptism.
In Orthodox Christian countries, individuals traditionally celebrate their name day instead of their birthday.
Since Orthodox Christians are usually named after a saint or feast day of the Church,
all those having the same name celebrate together on that saint's feast or the particular feast of the Church.
For instance: Saint George is celebrated April 23, unless it falls during Great Lent or Holy Week in which case it is celebrated the
Monday after Pascha.
All those named after Saint George celebrate their name day that day.
Almost every name can be given to boys as well as to girls. For example, the name George can be changed into Georgia.
Because every Greek individual gets a Greek Orthodox name when baptized, everybody has one special nameday to celebrate.
Celebration of the name day is considered to be spiritually important, and the celebrating individual develops special spiritual ties with his Patron Saint and, consequently, with God.
If someone you know is having his or her name day, the appropriate thing to say to them
is "KRONIA POLA", meaning "MANY YEARS."
