On a side note, while calendars in Japan often have these Rokuyo days on them as well, calendars in the West often have the names of Christian patron saints on them. In Italy, a country that is largely Catholic, patron saints’ days are still considered to be very important, and in some cases, newborn babies will be named after the patron saint of the day of their birth. Not all days have just one patron saint; there are some days on which several patron saints are commemorated on the same day.
The reason I feel that there are so many celebrations and holidays in Italy is because there is also a custom of celebrating the day of the patron saint people are named after, and adding birthdays on top of that, you have Italians exchanging celebratory greetings to each other often, so it seems their lives are just full of celebration. When I first came to Italy, I was somewhat astounded at the idea of people celebrating the days of their names, but I came to appreciate it after I realized that checking the calendar to keep track of the patron saints’ days is easier than remembering people’s birthdays, so it made for a good opportunity to offer even a small word of congratulations.
Many interesting customs can also be revealed by looking at a calendar with patron saints’ names on it. One of my favorites is St. Martin’s Day on November 11th. It’s known as “Moving Day,” and maybe it’s just me, but just the name makes me happy because it sounds like such an interesting day. Legend has it that when Martin was out riding his horse on November 11th, he came across a beggar shivering in the cold. He felt sorry for him, so he used his sword to cut his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. At that instant, the sun came out and the weather changed to summer in a blink of an eye. Since then, there has been a superstition that the weather on November 11th will always be good, making it best day for moving house. Of course, good weather on the day you’re moving house is always welcome, but let’s say, for example, that St. Martin were to take part in an elementary school’s athletic meet in autumn in Japan. You could cheer on those children who worked hard in preparation for that day without having to worry a bit about the rain.
February 3rd is St. Blaise’s Day, a day when you get to eat a slice of Italian sweet bread called Panettone. This day’s origins lie in the story of how St. Blaise became the patron saint of throats; he saved the life of a child choking on a fish bone. The custom of eating Panettone came about as a way to celebrate St. Blaise’s Day to protect people from getting sore throats (including those caused by fish bones), but it is also recommended for singers who are particularly worried about throat care.
On that note, February 2nd, the day just before it, is said to be the day when the end of winter is predicted. The day is known as the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, and it is said that if the weather is bad on this day, winter will continue for another month, but if it is sunny, spring will arrive soon. The Virgin of Candelaria is also known as “Our Lady of the Candles.” On this day, Catholic are supposed to light candles and pray for protection from calamities and natural disasters.
Doesn’t it sound nice to have so many things to celebrate? A life filled with celebrations, both for yourself and for others, would surely create less conflict and more smiles and happiness in your relationships.
