Warum stehen in meinem norwegischen Kalender an jedem Datum Namen?

Each name has a day, and that day is celebrated as a name day. It’s like an alternative to birthday.

Name days aren’t huge in Norway, but in some European countries they’re a bigger celebration than the birthday. Everyone knows it’s your name day but only those you’ve told know it’s your birthday.

Those are name days. People with that name celebrate their name day on that date.

It’s kind of a thing in Sweden (although I believe the tradition is going out of style there), but in Norway it is as good as dead as a tradition. I don’t recall when I last heard anyone be congratulated on or make an occasion out of their name day, and if they are it’s usually in the form of a conversation like this:

„Hey, I just looked at the calendar and noticed it’s your name day.“

„Oh, it is? I didn’t know that.“

„Yeah. Congrats, I guess.“

„Thanks, I guess.“

Added info: Name days are named after saints!

In the past, a person of that name would be sacrificed on that day to appease the gods. Now, we just sacrifice a Kenneth once a year and call it even.