Name Day

Finally, food plays a significant role in the Russian Name Day festivities. The Name Day was celebrated in old Russia more often than the actual birthday. Before the Revolution, only the names of saints recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church were deemed suitable for a newborn child. Each day on the Orthodox calendar was named for a saint, as was each child, and the Name Day was celebrated according to the saint’s day on which it fell. The Name Day celebrant customarily hosted a party, inviting friends and family to share in the traditional treat of krendel’, a large, rich, pretzel-shaped loaf of sweet bread. Along with the krendel’, there might be khvorost, thin, deep-fried cookie twists sprinkled with powdered sugar. These sweets were often washed down with thick hot chocolate fortified with beaten egg yolks.