Europe Rituals - Reviews

       The majority of people living in Europe are Christians (see Protestant and Catholic Life-Cycle Rituals, page xlvi), although most countries have sizable Jewish and Muslim communities. Roman Catholics, who comprise the largest single Christian group, live mainly in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, southern Germany, Hungary, and Poland. The greatest concentration of Protestant Christians is found in northern and central Europe—England, Scotland, northern Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries. The Orthodox church, the third major Christian group in Europe, has a strong following in Eastern Europe, primarily in Russia, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and the republics of the former Yugoslavia, except for Slovenia, which is mostly Roman Catholic. Throughout the Christian world, many countries, cities, and towns, and every parish, diocese, and ecclesiastical province has its particular patron saints; many of which are unknown outside the country or local area. The custom of giving children the names of Christian saints dates from the first millennium. By the thirteenth century, this custom had spread across the continent of Europe.
    Today, when Christian parents are more likely to choose their children's names without regard to past traditions, the older European Christian churches strongly recommend that if the chosen first name is not of Christian origin or significance, a saint's name be bestowed at baptism as a middle name. In Roman Catholic countries, the custom has been to celebrate the feast day of the saint whose name the person received at baptism instead of or in addition to the person's birthday. This "baptismal saint" is considered a special personal patron all through life. Children are made familiar with the history and legend of "their own" saint. They are inspired by his or her life and feel protected and bonded with their patron saint. All Christian churches have rituals and customs for every stage of life, from the crib to the grave. Although the basic rituals of each Christian group remain much the same across Europe, how the rituals are celebrated varies from country to country, from region to region within a country, and between the urban and rural populations of a country or region.