A man not called Andrei today asked the Romanian authorities to give him his birthday back, after it was again hijacked by all sorts of upstarts called Andrei and Andreea.
Ron Ionescu, of Suceava, in northern Romania, told Bucharest Life: “every year it is the same. All these bloody Andreis steal the limelight, even though it isn’t their actual birthday. Those of us actually born on November 30th get forgotten every year. Heads must roll. Preferably Andrei’s.”
Ionescu added that as there is not yet a ‘St. Ron’, he doesn’t even have the chance to celebrate his own name day.
Ron Ionescu is 94.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Among Romanians the saint name day is an opportunity to reinforce clannish relationships through gifts, parties, phone calls, greeting cards, and also reconfirm the all important client-patron (ie office workers toward their boss celebrating his/her name day) relationships through abject flattering prostate behaviour and overinflated Byzantine statements of loyalty.
Clannish and client-patron relationships is what makes the Romanian society go round. The local population is in that aspect in a time zone of about two centuries behind the more advanced societies in the west with which is obsessively comparing itself.
If someone endeavours to better understand the Romanian society and put that to his/her advantage, then having a look at the web of relationship within western 18th century communities, as for example illustrated in Hogarth’s election paintings, could be a good enlightening tool. Today Romania and its society is still similar in many aspects with those times.
@Rupert Wolfe Murray: With you all the way! I never tell anyone when mine is.
@Jen: Chocolates are indeed always welcome, though I tend to agree with @Fraser in the sense that the whole name day thing is a very big deal.
At the same time, I think some of the misunderstanding for the English speaking world is two-fold:
1. It is caused by the lack of separate translations to English of ‘la multi ani’ in the birthday sense, and in the name day sense.
“I must phone Andrei to say ‘la multi ani’”
“Why? Is it his birthday?”
“No, it’s Sf. Andrei…”
2. We just don’t have name days…
I don’t want to be a miseryguts but I think birthdays themselves are a bit ridiculous for adults. They are great for kids, and a great excuse for us parents to not get them little brats birthdays every weekend, but I’ve never understood why us old farts should celebrate them. This year I had the good fortune to be in Georgia, not the Yankee version either, on my bday and it was great as I didn’t know anyone in the country and so I was able to enjoy it in anonymity
No hate honest just I think it all a waste of time, and but I disagree I think people do make a huge deal out of it.
Why all the hate, Fraser? It’s just a small celebration… it’s not like anyone expects anyone else to make a huge deal out of it. And I, for one, welcome chocolates on any occasion.
No I never saw the point of this name day lark myself. Waste of time,have made it clear to all in the office not to come and bring me chocolates telling me its their birthday. Recommend all expats do the same as soon as they arrive.