Do Russians Celebrate Name Days? What the Day Means and How to Mark It

Yes, many Russians celebrate name days, called imeniny. It is the feast of the saint a person is named after in the Orthodox church calendar, and it is usually marked more quietly than a birthday: a phone call, a small gift, a cake at work or a modest bouquet.

How much attention the day gets depends on the family. In religious households and among older relatives it can matter as much as a birthday, while many younger city dwellers only notice it when a grandmother calls to congratulate them. If you have friends or family in Russia, knowing the date and sending a few flowers is a thoughtful gesture that rarely goes unnoticed, precisely because so few people remember it.

Where Russian name days come from

The tradition goes back to the Orthodox practice of naming a child after a saint. Each saint has one or more feast days in the church calendar, and the feast of your saint becomes your personal day. Before the twentieth century, name days were often celebrated more widely than birthdays: the birthday was a private family date, while the name day was a public occasion with guests, pies and visits from neighbours.

During the Soviet decades the church calendar was pushed out of official life, and birthdays took over as the main personal celebration. Name days did not disappear, though. They survived in families, in literature and in everyday phrases, and since the 1990s interest has grown again, partly because more people are baptised and partly because people enjoy the extra excuse for a celebration.

Today you will find a wide range: some people go to church on the morning of their name day and then host a family lunch, others simply receive a few congratulations by message. Very few Russians are offended by being congratulated, so if you are unsure whether someone observes it, a warm note is a safe choice.

How to find the right date

This is the part that confuses most people abroad. A popular name such as Maria, Anna, Alexander or Nikolai appears many times in the Orthodox calendar, because several saints share it. Traditionally a person celebrates the feast of the saint whose day falls closest after their birthday, unless the family chose a specific saint at baptism. So two women both called Tatiana may celebrate on different dates, and one of them might simply mark Tatiana Day on 25 January, which is also Students' Day in Russia.

The calendar also uses dates that differ from the ones you may know from Western church calendars, because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the old Julian reckoning. A saint's day that is 'the 1st' in an old calendar is shown thirteen days later in today's civil calendar. Online Orthodox calendars already convert this, so look up the name and check the date in the civil calendar rather than doing the arithmetic yourself.

The simplest and most reliable method is to ask. A message like 'When is your name day? I would love to remember it' is never awkward, and the answer often comes with a story about the saint or about the grandmother who chose the name. Once you know the date, put it in your calendar a week ahead so you have time to plan a delivery.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Who still celebrates, and how

Older Russians are the most likely to mark the day. For a grandmother named Lyudmila or Valentina, a call on her name day shows that you remember the things that matter to her, and it often means more than a big present. Church-going families may attend a morning service, light a candle in front of the icon of the patron saint and then gather for a festive meal.

In offices and schools the habit is lighter. Colleagues may bring sweets or a cake, and people named Tatiana, Nadezhda, Vera, Lyubov or Sofia get extra attention, because their days are widely known. The day of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sofia falls on 30 September, and many Russians congratulate every Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov they know on that date.

Among younger people the name day is often a cheerful bonus rather than a serious occasion. It is rarely a reason for a large party, but a short message, a coffee or a small bouquet is welcome. That modesty is useful for you: the gesture does not need to be big to be noticed.

Flowers for a name day: what a florist would choose

A name day calls for something lighter than a birthday arrangement. Think of a neat hand-tied bouquet or a small box of flowers rather than a huge display. Spray roses, alstroemeria, eustoma, chrysanthemums and tulips in spring all work well, because they look fresh, last a week or more in a vase and do not feel overly formal.

Two Russian customs are worth keeping in mind. Bouquets for happy occasions traditionally contain an odd number of stems, because even numbers are associated with funerals. In large mixed bouquets nobody counts, but with a small bunch of roses choose 5, 7 or 9. Yellow flowers once carried a hint of separation in Russian folk symbolism; today most people simply see them as sunny, but for an elderly relative soft pink, white, peach or lilac is the safer palette.

If the person is religious, white flowers have a natural link with church feasts, and a calm combination of white and blush feels respectful. For a colleague or friend, brighter colours are perfectly fine. You can browse ready bouquets in our bouquets catalogue and pick one by size and colour rather than by price tag alone.

What to write on the card

The usual greeting is 'S dnyom angela!', which literally means 'Happy angel's day!', because the patron saint is thought of as a guardian angel. You can write it in Latin letters, but if the recipient is older, it is kind to ask a Russian-speaking friend to write the phrase in Russian for you and paste it into the card text.

Keep the message short and personal: one line of congratulations, one line wishing health and protection, and your name. Mentioning the saint is a nice touch for a religious person, for example wishing that their patron keeps them safe. For a friend, a light 'Another excuse to celebrate you' works just as well. Our guide on writing a flower card for Russia explains how to use full names and patronymics politely.

The card is free with every order, and delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. If you want the person to know who sent the flowers, simply sign the card.

Ordering name day flowers to Russia from abroad

We deliver flowers across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, which helps if you remember the date on the morning itself.

For a planned name day it is better to choose an exact time (+/-30 minutes) or one of the time windows: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. You can pre-order from 1 to 30 days ahead, so you can arrange the delivery as soon as you learn the date. Morning windows suit older recipients who are usually at home, while 18-21 works for someone who goes to the office.

The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. If nobody is home, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the bouquet with a neighbour or concierge. You can pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and a manager on WhatsApp will help you choose a bouquet, agree the time, address and card text, and send a photo of the bouquet before delivery. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.