Celebrating Name Days

                                                        

Most countries celebrate birthdays but there are some that celebrate name days. Looking up at the Wikipedia one could say that there are many that celebrate name days. But my experience does not confirm that. So, for those who have not heard about name days here it goes:

A name day is a tradition in some countries in Europe, Latin America, and Catholic and Eastern Orthodox countries in general. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's given name. The celebration is similar to a birthday.

The custom originated with the Christian calendar of saints: believers named after a saint would celebrate that saint's feast day, or in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the day of a saint's death. Name days have greater resonance in the Catholic and Orthodox parts of Europe; Protestant churches practice less veneration of saints. In many countries, however, name-day celebrations no longer have connection to explicitly Christian traditions.

My name is Anna and my name day falls in 26^th of July. At least that is how it is in Poland where my roots are. It has been only some days ago that it was my name day. Of course, nobody here in Sydney made any fuss of me on the account of this day, except for some Polish friends. Thank you all of you who still remember the Polish ways and me. However, I received unexpected greetings coming from the Polish friends and one very special Skype call from Poland. The call was from my best girlfriend, I have written in my previous post about, and her grandchildren. The cute four-and-a-half-year-old dressed in a party dress sang the birthday song with the help of the whole family. Her one-year old brother seemed also very happy looking with admiration at his older sister making funny noises. This was indeed special to me. Thank you, little ones and the grownups!

The next day I received a parcel from the same friends with my name day present. It should not surprise anyone that it was a book. This time the book in Polish and by Polish authors Jacek Dehnel and Piotr Tarczynski who publish their crime stories under the name of Maryla Szymiczkowa. I know, this is a very Polish unpronounceable name. The finesse and humor of the story is difficult to explain in English, so I will not try, at least not this time. It is a great present, and the parcel fillers were also gratefully received, especially some soup ingredients to improve my cooking.

The authors of my new book

                                                              

The authors of my present are a couple and I believe that their crime stories, which are very funny, give the authors as much joy and laughs as those of us who read the books. I have known writing of Jacek Dehnel since the beginningof his career as a writer. He published his first book Lala when he was only 26. It was at the time when I went to live in Poland. I visited book shops frequently and Lala caught my attention by its cover, picture of the author and the write up about Jacek Dehnel. Stories about him and interviews were very much up in your face. He is gay and he seemed to be provocatively teasing the Catholic Poland treating his preferences as natural. Naturally they are natural, but he was rather outspoken about it. I love his dress sense and this was also provocative as well as most likely pleasing his aesthetic tastes. I could not find his photos of the time but he went for walks in a black cape with red satin lining, walking stick with silver head and a top hat.  His taste has mellowed with years but he is still an elegant dresser not following any current trends but his own pleasure. Actually, I concentrated on things that are not important but fun nevertheless. It was easy to lose my way as there is so much about this Renaissance man. He is a writer, poet, photographer and there is more to him than that. But he was not to be the subject of my story.

       

It was supposed to be about name days so I finish with a nice image of such days in a Swedish style and maybe write some more about Jacek Dehnel works some other time.