Name Day

This card I got from Aunt-Irja on my name day year 1955.

Finns celebrate their name days (Finnish nimipäivä, Swedish namnsdag) according to their given name  on the date given by the calendar published by the University of Helsinki Almanac Office (Almanakkatoimisto). Every day except new Year's Day, Christmas Day and Febryary 29 is a name day. For each day there are names in both Finnish and Swedish.

A card to my brother Jaakko ( Jacob, James ) from our cousin Heikki ( Henry ).

Many traditional beliefs attach to various name days, especially involving the weather and the appropriate times to perform seasonal agricultural tasks such as planting some particular crop. For example there is a saying that "Jaakko (James) casts a cold rock into the water", meaning that on Jaakko's day, the 25th of July, the waters start getting colder, which is not far from true on average.

The seven days from July 18 to 24th, being all women's name days, are known as the women's week. It is popularly believed to be an especially rainy week, and this is to some extent supported by statistics, as late July and early August are the rainiest time of the year in Finland.

On November 25 it is Kaisa's ( Kathy, Kate ) day and it should be mild weather because it forecasts mild winter and good harvest for the next year. It also forecasts beautiful weather until Christmas. On the other hand if it's cold on Kaisa's day it will be raining on Christmas.

This is my entry for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy. Just click the button under.