April 9 Name Yourself Day

Name Yourself Day is observed each year on April 9. Name Yourself Day is your chance to try on a new name for one day. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have a different name, this would be the day to find out.

Among the Catholic Church, there is a special ceremony that is performed in giving a new member of the church a name. Those who are to go through this ceremony must have at least one parent who is Catholic, as it is expected that such a child will be raised in the Catholic faith. The ceremony involves a baptism of the child to wash away original sin, and to become born again in a new life with Christ.

In the Hindu faith, naming a child is a holy act, involving the immediate families and close friends. The name of this ceremony is Namkaran, and is an elaborate ceremony performed on the 11th day of the child’s life. During the first 10 days of the child’s life, both mother and newborn are considered to be unclean, and therefor are traditionally separated from the family, attended only by a helper. On the 10th night, the house is cleansed and blessed for the coming ceremony. During this ceremony the mother is dressed in new clothes and wets the head of the baby with a bit of water in a sign of purifying the child. Interestingly, it is the Paternal Aunt who names the child, whispering it first to the child, and then announcing it to the gathered people.