From time immemorial, one of the most beloved female names is the name Anna. This proud name was worn by both the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and mother of the prophet Samuel. From the school lessons of history, we remember Anna Yaroslavovna - the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, and the Russian Empress Anna Ioanovna, and Anna - the daughter of the great Peter I and mother of Peter III. And how many famous women in modern history with dignity wore this name! Remember the ballerina Anna Pavlova, poetess Anna Akhmatova, singer Anna Herman. Maybe this love for this name is due to its meaning?
The meaning of the name Anna
This old, you can say, ancient name has ancient Hebrew roots. The name Anna is not once mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Translating it from the ancient Jewish language is of two kinds. In some sources the name Anna means God's mercy, grace, and in others - one can find the interpretation of the name, as pretty or pretty. According to onomastics - the science of names, the name given to a person at birth can leave its imprint on his character and destiny in general. Therefore, calling a girl named Anna, ask what it can promise her in the future. The same science of onomastics, argues that, as a rule, Anna is pitiful, tidy, has a sharp mind and an excellent memory, possesses a heightened sense of justice and strong will. Anna - great housewives and, unexpectedly, often endowed with the gift of clairvoyance. But, simultaneously with these positive features, Anna can also show negative qualities - cynicism, distrust and suspicion, the desire to control everything and everyone.
Name day and the day of Angela Anna
Currently, more and more often, many try to observe the ancient traditions associated with the birth of a man. But, unfortunately, not everyone clearly understands the differences between birthday, name day and Angel day, and sometimes even unite these concepts together. So, let's look at the order in the name of Anna.
With the concept of a birthday everything is clear - this is the physical date of birth of a person, which is recorded in the birth certificate.
Now it's the name day. To choose a name for a newborn in accordance with the traditions of Orthodoxy, proceed as follows: based on the date of birth, the saints find the memory day of any saint, who is closest after the physical birthday, and this name is called the baby. And the day of the celebration of the saint will now be considered the birthday of the name-day. Therefore, the name day of Anna in the church calendar (the saints) can be celebrated 18 times a year. Dates of Anna's name day: February 16 and 23; 8 and 13 April ; 25 and 26 June; 18 July; 5 and 7 August; 10 and 22 September; 15 October ; 4.10.11.11.16 November; 3 and 22 December. But the name-day, according to church canons, are large and small. The main, or big, name-day celebrations are celebrated on that very day following the birthday of the celebration of the saint. And since a saint can be praised several times a year, all other days will be considered small name-days. Therefore, specifically for Anna, the names of the name should be counted, guided by the dates of large and small name-days.
And in conclusion about the day of Angela Anna. The day of the angel is celebrated on the day of the rite of Baptism.
In pre-revolutionary times, when all ceremonies and traditions were still honored, the day of the Angel was celebrated quite widely. Cakes were baked with various fillings, loaves, which were treated to relatives and friends. In the daytime they went to church to perform a prayer of thanksgiving to their Guardian Angel, and in the evening they laid a rich festive table. Celebrating Angel's day can and now become a wonderful family tradition, along with the celebration of the New Year, Christmas or Maslenitsa.