Romanians celebrated St. John the Baptist on Wednesday with two million Romanians who are named after the revered saint celebrating their own name day, like a second birthday.
As the person who baptized Christ in the River Jordan, St. John the Baptist is the forerunner of Christ, and the Protector.
St. John’s Day, a day after the feast of Epiphany, comes at the end of the Christmas holidays. January 6 and 7 are official holidays in Romania where more than 85% re Orthodox Christians and people traditionally honor Christian holy days and saints.
Almost 2 million Romanians are named after the saint and celebrate their onomastic or name day with this occasion. The Romanian versions for John include: Ion, Ioan, Ionel, Ionut, Oana, Ioana, Onita and Ionica.
St. John was the son of the Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was a cousin of the Virgin Mary. He is called the forerunner because he preceded Christ and taught repentance, which prepared men for Jesus’ teaching and His ministry.
He was the first to recognize Christ as the Messiah as early as when they were both still in their mothers’ wombs. It is said that the Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and when they embraced John leapt in his mother’s womb.
According to the New Testament, John was sentenced to death and subsequently beheaded by Herod Antipas around AD 30 after John rebuked him for divorcing his wife Phasaelis and then unlawfully wedding Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I.
On St. John’s Day, believers wash their faces with holy water, as it is said that this way they will be safe and healthy throughout the year.
It is also said that those who are sad on this day will have bad luck and will be unhappy all year: so positive thoughts are recommended.
Saint John the Baptist is also considered the patron saint of babies, and an old belief says that women who want to become mothers must pray to Saint John to give birth to healthy babies.
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