Across Montreal today, the Greek tradition of name days reaches further than family. Every Irene you know, along with an Irina, Irena or Iryna in your contacts, shares the same name being celebrated in Greek homes today. The same goes for rarer names too, including Acacius and Timon, names that still carry old Greek roots into modern life.
Irene comes from the ancient Greek word eirene, meaning peace, and it was already a powerful name in the classical world before it moved into later religious and imperial use. The English Irene, the French Irène, the Slavic Irina and Iryna, and the Greek forms Eirini and Irini all descend from that same Greek source. Acacius comes through Latin from Greek Akakios, built from kakos, “bad” or “evil,” with the negative prefix a-, giving the sense of someone untouched by malice. Timon is older still, from Greek timao, “to honour,” part of the same word family as time, honour or esteem.
In Orthodox tradition, a person’s name day is the feast day of the saint after whom they were named at baptism.
The Great Martyr Irene of Thessaloniki was remembered in Orthodox tradition as a fourth-century figure born in Persia and first named Penelope. According to the tradition preserved by OrthodoxWiki, she was the daughter of a pagan king who kept her secluded in a tower, while a Christian tutor named Apellian educated her and introduced her to Christ and Christian virtues. The source also preserves the meaning of Irene as peace and recalls the striking image of a dove arriving with an olive branch as her story unfolded.
There is something especially warm about wishing a happy name day to an Irene. It suits the yiayia who settles a family table without raising her voice, the co-worker whose calm changes the whole mood of the office, or the across-the-street neighbour who always seems to bring a little quiet with her. Acacius, with its old sense of innocence, feels at home on the cousin everyone trusts, while Timon belongs easily to the friend whose word carries weight.
Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, in Greek and non-Greek circles alike. If you know an Irene, Irina, Irena, Acacius or Timon, today is a lovely day to send a quick message and share a small Greek custom they may not even know is theirs too.
