Christians honour the Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel on Sunday, two of the most venerated figures of Christian angelology. According to tradition, the archangels are the leaders of the heavenly ceremonies and are seen as those who guide people and the souls of the departed towards Paradise. In popular belief, the two saints are regarded as guardians of people from birth until death.
The feast day was indicated by as 8 November. For many Romanians, the day also has a personal significance, as nearly 1.5 million people celebrate their name day on this date. The number of those bearing the names Mihai, Mihaela, Gavril or their derivatives makes this feast one of the best known in the Orthodox calendar.
In terms of customs, the feast is associated with a collective remembrance of those who have passed from among the living. Tradition calls for families to hold a large memorial service on this day for all deceased members. At the same time, popular belief holds that no work should be done on the feast day, a rule that reflects respect for the two archangels and the restful character of the day.
Information about the feast and its customs is presented in the same form by several Romanian publications, including news.ro, gonews.ro and. No official sources or church experts were quoted in connection with these claims, and the data on the number of name days remain those reported by the press.