How Are Birthdays Celebrated In Greece? A Complete Guide Written by Samantha Bellerose

It’s no secret that every country celebrates birthdays differently. But what about Greece? How do Greeks celebrate birthdays? Is there a specific way to do it? In this blog post, I’ll give you a complete guide to how birthdays are celebrated in Greece. You’ll learn about the customs and traditions associated with birthday celebrations in Greece, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised by some of the things you read!

Traditionally, Greeks don’t really celebrate their actual birthdays instead they celebrate Name Days!
So whether you’re from Greece or just want to learn more about the culture, read on for everything you need to know. Let’s get started!

Yes, Greek Birthdays are different to birthdays celebrated in the USA in several ways. The most significant differences being:

Greek Birthdays Western Birthday
Importance Names Days celebrated on the feast of the saint you are named after are more important than Birthdays. In the west, any birthday can pretty much be special if you want it to be and you can have celebrations at any age, although there are some most people defer to for big occasions.
Significant Birthdays Cornerstone birthdays such as a 20th, 30th or 50th can be important. Most Western people place significance on certain birthdays, such as 1st, 13th, 16th, and 21st, and then each decade’s birthday like a 30th or 40th thereafter for example. But any and every birthday can be celebrated. Some people even celebrate half birthdays!
Cake Cake for dessert sometimes with the celebrant’s name on it might be at a name day celebration. Ironically the tradition of the birthday cake came from Greece – read more about it in the article! In the west, you can’t call it a birthday party without a cake and candles. People go out of their way to ensure there is a cake to cut and for candles to be blown out.
Food Filipinos love to celebrate birthdays because the food made is the family’s specialty and during special birthdays roast pig is served which is a favorite food for Filipinos. Party food which is usually processed and full of sugar is generally eaten at children’s birthday parties. Sometimes food is designed and created around a birthday party theme. Adult birthday parties can follow a similar cuisine, but many will offer a meal that includes the birthday person’s favorite food, followed by dessert.
Age on Birthday Same with the west, every year when a baby is born, 1 year is added to his or her age. In the west, a baby is zero at the time they are born and each year on the anniversary of their birth they turn a year older.
Date of Birthday Greek people celebrate their name day which is the feast day for the Christian Saint they are named after in the Greek Orthodox church, rather than the day they were born. Most westerner’s birthday is the day they were born. For some older people, the date might differ because the registration of births differed considerably from the past to today, and to save hassle they just go with what the paperwork states.
When to celebrate Greek people celebrate on the feast day of the saint they were named after, although in modern life celebrations can be deferred to the weekend for example. It is acceptable for people to give well wishes for a name day up to 40 days after the day! In the west, if your birthday falls on a weekday, you might have a small family celebration that night, but your party might occur on the weekend or the best date around your birthday when you are able to get a venue or do an activity you were looking forward to. It is the birthday person’s choice, but generally, the day would be within a week or two of the actual birth date.
How old are you? It is normal for young people to ask and answer, but although it is not rude, people over 30 may choose not to respond or answer. Many Adult westerners find it impolite to be asked how old they are especially by strangers. It is generally ok to ask them around their birthday time especially if they are having a party and you are invited to celebrate with them. Parents on the other hand are always telling everyone all about their children and their ages – it is ok to discuss the ages of children.
Gifts Gifts such as sweet boxes, flowers, cakes to share, or alcohol are acceptable gifts for name days. If you are invited to a party, it is obligatory to bring a card and a gift for the birthday person. The gift should be something you think the birthday person would like and if you are unsure – money or a gift card is also ok to give.
Song Xronia Polla is sung at birthdays – take a look at the lyrics below in the article! The ‘Happy Birthday Song’ is traditionally sung after lighting candles on the birthday cake. The candles are then blown out after the song has finished by the birthday person who makes a personal secret wish when blowing them out.

Are Birthdays Important in the Greek Culture?
No Birthdays are not important in the Greek Culture. Instead, a person’s name day is as important as the day they were born and often more so.

However, western influence has definitely left its mark on the Greek culture so some Greek families do celebrate birthdays with cake and parties, but Typically, these celebrations are for children.

What are some Greek Birthday Traditions?
Greek birthday traditions are some of the most unique and interesting in the world, especially considering that celebrating a Name Day is more important or takes the place of a birthday celebration!

NAME DAY
Because birth dates were never reliably recorded, older generations were never really sure of the year they were born and only had a vague idea.

Your Yiorti or Name Day as it is called in Greece was celebrated instead!

It has been a tradition in Greece for newborn children to be named after their grandparents, strengthening the value of a ‘name’.

The Greek Orthodox Church merged this tradition by adapting the practice to name children after Christian saints and ancestors – which was basically happening anyway, but the church just made the tradition more defined.

Name days are therefore commemorated on the feast day of the patron saint a Greek person is named after.

So if someone is named Mary or Marie or any other version of the name they celebrate their name day on August 15th, when the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is commemorated. This particular name day is a public holiday, and also occurs during the height of summer, so there’s no need to RSVP for a party!

Name Day is one reason you will find that Greece is known as being a country that has the least variety of names or why if you have been to Greece you will know several people with the same names.

SPITTING THREE TIMES TO WARD OFF EVIL
It is not really spitting, but rather a ftou sound and spitting gesture said three times to ward off evil. But Ftou Ftou Ftou can also be given to compliment health, beauty or a baby or child for example on their birthday!

The idea is that this acts as a protective omen, keeping the child away from bad luck or the evil eye.

The evil eye belief, also known as vaskania, is a tradition that dates back to ancient Greece. The evil eye was believed to bring death and destruction, and is still a common belief in Greek culture.

THE PARTY IS ON YOU!
No respectable Greek person would let a guest leave their home without having offered them a beverage or something to eat. This cultural custom flows through to the tradition on Name Day for the person whose birthday or name day it is, to be responsible for paying for the celebration or the Kerazma or philoxenia – the sweet and savory or hospitality provided on the day!

How do you Say Happy Birthday In Greek?
You wish a person Happy Birthday or Name Day by saying “Xronia Polla,” or “Polyxronos,” which translates to “May you have many years.”