Greek-American actor John Stamos marked his nameday on January 7, with a post reflecting on his Greek heritage and the influential people in his family bearing the same first name.
“Today I celebrate my name, my history and the incredible people who shaped me -past and present,” Stamos wrote on his personal Instagram account, alongside a video from the Acropolis.
“In Greece, a Name Day is about more than tradition -it’s about connection, love and gratitude. I’m proud to foloow the footsteps of my Papouli, John Stamos and my uncle John Stamos. To everyone reaching out with “Χρόνια Πολλά” and sending love you’ve made this day even more special.”
The Hollywood star went on to extend, in Greek, his wishes “to all the Johns out there: Χρόνια Πολλά to us!”
On Tuesday, January 7, more than one million Greeks around the world celebrated their name day as Giannis (a male name, often anglicized as John) and Gianna (a female name, often equivalent to Joanna or Jane) are extremely common and deeply rooted in Greek tradition.
Those baptized under the name John are honoring John the Baptist, one of the central figures of Christianity, preacher and baptizer on the banks of the Jordan River; the forerunner, herald and baptizer of Jesus of Nazareth.
Almost all Greek families have a Giannis or Gianna. According to ELSTAT statistics eight percent of Greeks bear the name which is the second most popular after George (Giorgos or Georgia).
John Stamos opens up about his love for Greece in memoir
Stamos recently opened up about his love for Greece and his roots in the Peloponnese in his memoir, If You Would Have Told Me.
Speaking about the newly released book to Travel + Leisure magazine (T+L), the former teen idol, who became best known for his role on the long-running sitcom Full House in 1987, reminisced about travel in his homeland.
Stamos said travel has always been a big part of his life, especially to his family’s home country of Greece.
On a recent trip to Greece, he felt like every older man he encountered reminded him of his dad, Bill Stamos Sr., who passed away in 1998.
“My dad loved it,” he told T+L. “He found this little tavern, and I haven’t been back, but he was back in the kitchen cooking with the guys and [helping to pick] the fish. He just loved being around that kind of environment. Those kinds of places always remind me of him and I just see him in a lot of that over there.”
John Stamos Discovers His Greek Roots in Fascinating Documentary
John Stamos also opens up about his Greek roots in a documentary in which he traces his ancestry for the first time.
In the touching documentary series “Who Do You Think You Are?”, Stamos discovers his great-grandparents and an explosive feud that shattered his grandfather’s childhood.
“When my dad died, and he was in a coma for like six months, I remember sitting with him and holding his hand, asking him a lot of questions that he couldn’t answer. I felt like I knew more about my Greek side, certainly, but it seems more elusive to me now.”
He decided to visit Greece and find out more about his roots with the help of historian Katerina Lagos.
