Today, the Greek tradition of name days reaches well beyond family. Every Apollo you know, along with any Selene, Selena or Selina, shares in today’s celebration, and the circle stretches further to rarer classical names such as Dorotheus, Nicander and Plutarch. It is the kind of day when a quick message to a friend, classmate or co-worker can turn into a small conversation about Greek culture.
Apollo comes from Greek Ἀπόλλων, one of the great names of classical antiquity, carried for centuries through Greek, Latin and then into modern European languages. Selene comes from Greek Σελήνη, the ancient word and divine name for the moon, preserved with remarkable closeness in English, French and Spanish forms such as Selene, Sélène and Selena. Dorotheus is built from Greek elements meaning gift and God, while Nicander joins victory and man, and Plutarch comes from Greek elements associated with wealth and leadership, best known through the writer Plutarch of Chaeronea.
In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a person’s name day is the feast day of the saint after whom they were named at baptism.
Even when some of today’s names come more from classical heritage than from everyday church use, they still carry a vivid presence. Apollo has the easy brightness of the friend who brings music to a long drive or the cousin who can lift the mood at any table. A Selene across the street may have that same calm, luminous quality that makes people slow down and listen. And a Plutarch in a classroom or office almost naturally sounds like the person who keeps books close at hand and always has one more story worth telling.
For Greek-Canadians, this is part of what makes name days so shareable. The names have travelled. They belong to Greek memory, but they also belong to the wider world, whether in the form Apollo, Apollon, Apolo, Selene, Selena or Selina. Even the less common Dorotheus and Nicander feel like reminders that Greek has sent names, ideas and sounds into everyday Western life for a very long time.
Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, in Greek and non-Greek circles alike. If you know an Apollo, Selene, Selena, Selina, Dorotheus, Nicander or Plutarch, today is a lovely day to send your wishes and introduce them to the Greek custom of a name day.
