Czech name days: the second birthday on every calendar

Look at any Czech calendar and every date has a name printed beside it. On 19 March it is Josef. On 6 December it is Mikuláš. On 24 December it is Adam a Eva. If your name sits on a day, that is your svátek (name day), and in Czechia it can matter nearly as much as your birthday.

A Czech colleague who finds out you missed their name day will not hold it against you for long. One who finds out you looked it up and sent a message will remember it for a year.

Where it comes from

The custom grew out of the church calendar, where each day commemorated a saint and families named their children after saints. Over the years the calendar was adjusted, so today it mixes traditional Christian names with others added later. It is printed everywhere, but nobody is obliged to follow it.

Because names get added from time to time, your grandparents' calendar will not match this year's exactly. If you want to be sure of a date, check a current one.

How people celebrate

Name days are low-key. Someone sends a text or rings up: Všechno nejlepší k svátku! (All the best on your name day!). Flowers, chocolates or a bottle are a nice touch. At work, there might be a cake, and among friends, a round at the pub.

Birthdays have become the bigger party for most people, especially younger Czechs. Some older relatives still count the name day as the one that matters. So if you know a Czech colleague or friend by their first name, a quick check of the calendar and a one-line message goes a long way.

Children in particular tend to get a small treat or a card. Grandparents who remember to phone on the right day score as many points as those who remember birthdays.

Where you will see them

Wall calendars and pocket diaries carry the names, and so does your phone calendar if you set it to Czech or add the Czech holidays. Radio and TV presenters often read out the name of the day, and news sites run a dnes má svátek ("today's name day") line. It makes a handy reminder to say hello to somebody.

If your name is not on the calendar

Plenty of foreign names are missing. That is fine. Some people with non-Czech names adopt the nearest equivalent, others ignore the tradition, and a few pick a day for fun. Celebrating your own name day on an invented date is harmless, as long as there is cake.

Czech names also shrink in speech. Jan becomes Honza, Josef becomes Pepa, and Marie can be Maruška. Those short forms are what you will say aloud when you wish someone well.

Two days that stand out

6 December is Mikuláš (St Nicholas), tied to a separate children's tradition. And 24 December is Adam and Eva, which lands on Christmas Eve, so anyone with those names tends to get their wishes bundled in with the festive ones.

Not just a Czech thing

Name days are also marked in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, as well as in Sweden, Finland and Greece, so if you come from one of those places you already know the drill. If you come from a country without them, think of it as a second, smaller birthday that costs the celebrant nothing: the calendar does the remembering, and the rest is courtesy.

Some days carry two names, such as Adam a Eva, and a few days are shared by different names in different years as the calendar is revised. If a friend says "my svátek is on the 19th", trust them over the printed page.

A Monday in a Czech office

Picture the scene. It is mid-morning, the kettle is on, and someone says Dneska má Josef svátek. The team drifts over. There is a cake in a box, or a bottle of something is produced from a drawer, and for ten minutes the meeting about invoices waits. The person with the name day acts embarrassed and delighted in equal measure. Nobody makes a speech. That is a name day working properly.

Fitting in at work

In an office, a name day is mostly a light moment. A colleague might bring in cake or sweets, and someone will say všechno nejlepší. If you are the one with the name day, you are not expected to throw a party, but a small box of chocolates for the team goes down well. If you are a manager, do not make a thing of it. A quiet word and a handshake will do.

Frequently asked questions

What is a name day in Czech?

A svátek is a day in the calendar tied to a first name. People with that name are congratulated, much as on a birthday.

Is a name day a public holiday?

No. It is a personal celebration, not a day off.

Which is more important, birthday or name day?

For most younger Czechs the birthday. Older relatives often still care about the name day.

What do you say on someone's name day?

Všechno nejlepší k svátku! You can also write Přeji hezký svátek (I wish you a nice name day).

What if my name is not in the Czech calendar?

That is common. You can skip the custom, take the nearest Czech equivalent, or choose a date of your own.

Try it today

Look up today's name. If it matches someone you know, send them a short message with the greeting above. If it matches nobody, add the name days of your Czech friends to your phone with a yearly reminder.