Today’s Greek name day is one of those celebrations that can start a conversation well beyond family. If you know an Apostolos, an Apostolis, a Tolis, or even someone from the Balkans named Apostol, they share in today’s good wishes, alongside the much rarer Meliton. It is the kind of day when a quick text to a friend, co-worker or neighbour can turn a Greek custom into something warmly Canadian too.
Apostolos comes straight from the Greek word απόστολος, meaning “one who is sent out,” from the verb αποστέλλω, “to send forth.” The word became central in early Christian Greek through the New Testament, but its linguistic roots are older and fully Greek in structure. Meliton, from Greek Μελίτων, is built on μέλι, “honey,” an ancient and vivid root that also appears in classical Greek vocabulary and gives the name its sense of sweetness and gentleness.
In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a person’s name day is the feast day of the saint after whom they were named at baptism.
You can feel the character of these names in the people around them. Apostolos has a natural outward motion to it, fitting the cousin who is always the first to call, the godfather who never arrives empty-handed, or the colleague who somehow becomes the one carrying news from one end of the office to the other. Meliton carries a softer note, the kind that suits the grandfather with the calm voice, the teacher who knows how to take the edge off a hard day, or the regular at the café whose presence improves the whole room without trying.
Today also brings wishes to women’s forms such as Apostolia, Lia, Apostolina and Polina, and it may be a natural day to remember those celebrating related forms in other languages too. Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, Greek and non-Greek alike, and especially to the friend who may never have heard of a name day until your message arrives.
