Celebration: About Name Days
Name days are a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America of celebrating on a particular day of the year associated with the one's given name. In many nations, the celebration of name days dates back to the medieval period, often (but not always) associated with feast days. For example, the name Karl or Carl is celebrated in Sweden on January 28, the anniversary of the death of Charlemagne. Historically, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches advocated celebrating name days instead of birthdays, as the latter were seen as "pagan."
In countries where name days occur, an official list is held containing the current assignations of names to days. There are different lists for each country that celebrates name days, though some names are celebrated on the same day in many places. Although most name days lists have been very consistent throughout their history, they have been revised in some places, particularly in Finland and Scandinavia since the 18th Century.
Name days are traditionally considered most important in Finland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, where they are often still more popular than birthdays. In more multi-ethnic nations like the United States, the celebration of name days is largely dependent upon the individual's ethnic background.