Before I moved to Bavaria, I had no idea there was such a thing as “name day”. Also known as “feast day”, it is a European tradition rooted in Christianity. The names of saints in the Catholic and Orthodox church are celebrated so if you are lucky enough to be named after one of them, you get to party not only on our birthday, but on your name day too.

So yesterday, July 24th, was my name day and the saint Christina sounded like a cool chick. Born in 1150 in Belgium, she was orphaned at the age of 15 and had to make a living as a shepherdess. By 1182 she lived a life of austerity. It is said she experienced miracle after miracle after that. I don’t think I could aspire to live a life like that, but miracles are something I would welcome for sure!

If you are curious when your name day appears, check out this name day calendar.