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If you have received an invitation to Ivan’s celebration, then you need to know that this birthday boy highly values friendship, is a loyal and reliable comrade, and also a person with a great, broad soul. Therefore, when you prepare for his name day, choosing gifts and congratulations, focus on his character and personality.
Angel Ivan's Day according to the church calendar
The church calendar contains the most saints with this name. Among them the most famous are John of Kronstadt, John Climacus, John the Baptist, John Chrysostom and many others. Therefore, as a rule, there are no problems with choosing a heavenly patron at the baptism of an infant.
Holy Righteous John, Kronstadt Wonderworker
According to church rules, they choose the saint whose memorial day is closest to the baby’s birthday:
- John the Baptist - September 23, June 24, August 29, January 7, February 24, May 25, October 12;
- John the Theologian - October 9, May 21, July 13;
- John Chrysostom - September 14, November 13, February 12;
- John of Kronstadt - December 20, June 1;
- John Climacus - 4th Sunday of Great Lent, March 30;
- other.
In the church calendar you can find many other saints with the name John.
Character of the birthday boy
This is a very ancient Slavic name. It is translated from Hebrew as “mercy of God.” The boys named this way become the owner of:
- non-standard thinking;
- difficult character;
- the ability to stand your ground and achieve what you want.
And at the same time they manage to help everyone around them. It is also worth considering that Ivan is a man in whom deep internal contradictions constantly occur. They often haunt his soul and ebullient nature. In those moments when Vanya becomes aggressive, there is no need to think and take everything personally. After all, in fact, this person will never wish anything bad on anyone.
Vanya is a doer of good deeds. He always finds new ways to create something unique, to solve old problems, to reach new heights.
The date of Vanya’s name day celebration is always an unforgettable, interesting and fun holiday. The owners of this name have always been famous for their generosity and indifference. Therefore, when you go to congratulate the birthday person, do not forget to bring with you sincere joy and good mood.
Patron Saints
Studying the history of Orthodoxy, we see many worthy, as well as holy, people with the name John. Their iconographic image can be found in any church. Let's tell you more about the most famous of them.
John the Baptist
He was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He lived at the same time, but went out early to serve God in order to herald the coming of the Messiah. He was a strict ascetic and labored in the desert.
John - Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord
He preached a lot and performed ablutions for the Jews in the sacred Jordan River for their repentance and cleansing from sins. Subsequently, this rite formed the basis of the Orthodox sacrament of baptism. He carried out a bath in the Jordan and over Jesus Christ, immersing Him in water.
He was the last in a line of Old Testament prophets who foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah to earth. He died a martyr's death - he was put in prison and beheaded by King Herod at the request of his illegitimate wife Herodias and her daughter Salome. After Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most revered figure in the Orthodox Church.
John the Theologian
He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, who, according to legend, is considered the daughter of Joseph the Betrothed, as well as the younger brother of the Apostle James, a fisherman, and evangelist.
Author of several books included in the New Testament:
- one of the four Gospels;
- book of Revelation;
- three Messages.
Apostle John the Theologian
John the Theologian became exactly the person whom the Lord Jesus Christ entrusted to take care of His Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos in Her earthly life. This apostle, the only one of the twelve closest disciples, died his own, not a martyr’s death.
The name Ivan in the Saints
There are 2 equivalent name forms recorded in the Saints: Ivan (91 times) and John (37 times).
Meaning of the name
Ivan is the Russian-pronounced biblical name John, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan.
It has a number of meanings: “Yahweh had compassion,” “Yahweh had mercy,” “the grace of God,” “God’s gift” (Yahweh is the name of God). In other languages, the name sounds like this: Ivan, Evan, Johvan, John, Juan, Jan, Jonas, Giovanni, Hans, Johann, Jean.
Main features
Independence, thoroughness, self-esteem and independence characterize Ivan from the positive side.
Character
Ivan is associated with a stupid fairy-tale hero, who turns out to be the smartest. As a child, the boy suffers from ridicule (Vanka-Vstanka, Ivanushka the Fool), enters into conflicts, but knows how to withstand and even establishes himself in the team. At the same time, complexes associated with childhood grievances rarely develop. The following parallels can be drawn with the unlucky hero of fairy tales:
- The real Vanya and the literary character do not strive for leadership.
- They know how to fight back against an offender.
- Both are good-natured, generous, and not vindictive.
- Hardworking and resilient.
- Generous, smart.
- They are on their own: they always follow their own calculations.
- They do not pay attention to ridicule, they persistently go towards their intended goal, even when fate throws them in the way.
Ambition is inherent, but does not appear outwardly. Ivan is building a career to gain a high status in society, and not to command. He demands respect from those around him.
Women love men with this name for their charm and gallantry. These are reliable husbands, economical, who know how to provide for their family.
The inconsistency of character lies in the fact that Ivan is a supporter of traditions, a keeper of values, but does not like everyday routine, and is inclined to change hobbies. He is good-natured, but can flare up; external restraint coexists with impulsiveness, and fearlessness with indecision.
The Righteous One from the Baltic Shores
And finally, we cannot help but remember our Russian saint of God, beloved and revered by the people - the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, whose memory is celebrated on January 2 and July 14. During the days of his earthly life, he gained fame as an outstanding preacher, spiritual writer, church and public figure, as well as a social figure who held extreme monarchical views, for which he was extremely negatively assessed by Soviet propaganda.
As the rector of St. Andrew's Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt, Father John was an Honorary Member of the Imperial Palestine Society and the personal confessor of Emperor Alexander III. It is an undeniable fact that by the beginning of the 20th century he became the most famous and authoritative figure in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Meanwhile, in life, the priest was always a non-covetous and ascetic. He invariably used the huge sums of money he received from wealthy donors for the needs of the diocese. The monument to the holy righteous man is the Ioannovsky Convent, erected at his expense in St. Petersburg. Revived after decades of Bolshevik desecration, it again became one of the spiritual centers of Russia.
John the Baptist
In the Orthodox calendar, approximately seven holidays are dedicated to one of the most revered saints. This is John the Baptist or the Baptist. His name day is celebrated on September 11, July 7, June 7, October 25, October 6, March 9, January 20.
We know about his childhood and activities from the Gospel of Luke. The saint led an ascetic lifestyle. He did not need expensive clothes or gourmet food. He had everything he needed to live and serve God.
He began his sermons around 28 BC. John traveled around Jordan and called people to baptism so that their sins would be forgiven.
He cannot be called an ordinary preacher, rather a prophet. After all, he was retelling the will of God.
John carried out the water baptism of Jesus, to whom the evangelists assign an important role in the life of the Son of God.
The saint's life ended in prison, where Salome's messenger eventually cut off his head.
But besides him, there is another Ivan, whose name day the Orthodox celebrate several times a year.
History of the name
In everyday life, we often meet people with completely different names. For example, Vanya or Ivan. In church form it is used as John.
The origins are rooted in Jewish culture. The literal translation is “God took pity.”
The name never had great popularity, despite the fact that it was often used to call kings. Most likely, this is caused by a special characteristic imposed on it by folk art.
Very often the name was used as a generalizing collective image of the people. The main character in fairy tales was often Ivan.
Interestingly, during World War II, the Germans called all Russians by this name.
However, Ivan’s name day has nothing to do with folklore.
In Tsarist Russia, runaway peasants hid their origins and, if they were caught, when asked about their name, they answered that their name was Vanya, but they had forgotten their last name. This is how entries were made in the documents.
With the advent of Christianity, it became normal to give a child a name according to the Orthodox calendar. So it became quite widespread and gained particular popularity. According to the Orthodox calendar, Ivan’s name day is celebrated several times a month.
Interesting Facts:
1. Saint John Chrysostom compiled the text of the Divine Liturgy , which to this day is celebrated most often during the church year.
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
2. In 397, when they decided to install Saint John as Bishop of Constantinople, he was taken away from Antioch secretly, at night, fearing the indignation of the believers.
3. “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory? - these words, dear to any Christian, which are heard at every night Easter service, are part of the famous “Catechetical Word” written by John Chrysostom.
4. The relics of St. John were stolen by the Crusaders from Constantinople in 1204 and were returned in 2004 by Pope John Paul II. Currently kept in St. George's Cathedral in Istanbul.
Transfer of the relics of John Chrysostom in Constantinople to the Church of the Holy Apostles
5. The name John is one of the most common in the whole world. The English equivalent of the Russian name Ivan is John, the Hungarian is Janos, the Spanish is Juan, the Italian is Giovanni, the German is Johann.
Appearance of an Angel to Elder Zechariah in the Jerusalem Temple
6. The name John was not very common before the birth of Christ. It first appears on the pages of the New Testament, when an angel who appeared commanded the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth to name their future son, John the Baptist, that way. In addition, this name was borne by one of Christ’s favorite disciples, John the Theologian.
When to congratulate
A name day is a day when one remembers a saint. Some names appear only once in the calendar. Therefore, questions about the date of celebration do not arise. It's more difficult with names that appear twice or thrice. But Ivan’s name days are one of the most frequent in Orthodoxy, there are more than one hundred of them.
In this case, it is enough to choose the date closest to your birthday.
In order to show a person your special, warm and attentive attitude, you can congratulate him not only on his birthday, but also on his name day. It's always very nice. It is not necessary to make a whole celebration out of it, sometimes a small message or a few kind words is enough.
What to give for Ivan's name day?
The owner of the name is a creative person with a developed imagination. He will be glad to have the tools to bring his ideas to life. Or a book from the do-it-yourself category.
It will be useful to give him a talisman in the form of a figurine of a patron animal: a horse or a ladybug. This could be a keychain. Among the world of flowers, he is patronized by chamomile. And among the trees there is a birch.
If you choose jewelry with a stone, give preference to diamonds. The stone will become a talisman against evil thoughts and the evil eye.
Author of the Divine Liturgy
The name day named after Ivan is also celebrated on the days when the Orthodox world celebrates the memory of one of the three ecumenical saints and teachers of the church - St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. His name is on a par with such pillars of the church as Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. Being an outstanding preacher and theologian, he left behind many works that are studied today in all theological educational institutions.
His most famous creation is the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern, or as it is called, the Byzantine rite. According to tradition, it is divided into two parts, called the “Liturgy of the Catechumens” and the “Liturgy of the Faithful.” People who are churchgoers or at least periodically attend church are well acquainted with it, since it occurs almost daily. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates his memory three times a year: on February 9 and 12, and on November 26.
Baptize an adult with a different name
The church answers the question ambiguously. If a person is not a church member, this is permitted, as in the case of a baby. If we are talking about a baptized person who does not know what he was baptized under, there is no prohibition here. It has already been said above that parents often forget the baptismal “pseudonyms” of their children if they differ from those indicated in the documents.
But most often we are talking about removing serious damage or a curse
. If there is no other way to cope with strong black witchcraft, you can be baptized again, take a new name and hide from the negative program and the dark magician. Repeated baptism will help remove even damage to death, which not every healer undertakes.
True, the church has a negative attitude towards such a solution to the magical problem.
At a minimum, because it relates to witchcraft. If a person does not have the reasons for re-churching, which are indicated above, he will most likely be refused.
In general, it is possible to baptize a child or an unbaptized adult under a different name. Re-baptism is allowed for a person who does not know what he was baptized as a child. But if we are talking about removing negativity of a magical nature, the church will not approve of this.
