naming day, i want one

today i got to again experience something i like very much. its really quite sweet. the children on their birthdays bring chocolate to give to all. they give you some chocolate and you say happy birthday. its nice that its not expected for you to give them a present.

now this is a lovely custom of romania, but what makes it even better is that they do this on their naming day as well. what is a naming day? well, its the day of the saint that you are named after. in some families, the name day is actually more important than the birthday. one of the students explained it to me that this means that they get even more presents - on birthdays, name days, xmas, etc.

there is a saint mahail which would be a nameday for the last name. unfortunately, that day has passed. also i dont know if it counts since its actually not my name but my last.

since i have been exposed to this custom, there is really only one thing which is my current greatest desire in the world. and that is to have a name day. my family saw fit to give me a totally crappy middle name (sounds like a slavic boys name, as aside there are many boys named vlad here) and my first name also leaves me in the cold. so i propose that we lobby the head of the orthodox church to find a saint junie. or something close. i am looking for signatures for my petition so dont hesitate to help me gain my fondest wish.

also, since a name date is imminent, you should send presents.