puhkusename

Puhkusename is a term used in onomastics to describe the naming of public holidays and observances. It is formed from the Estonian roots puhkus, meaning holiday or rest, and nime, meaning name. The concept focuses on how a holiday is labeled rather than on the events it commemorates, examining the linguistic, cultural, and political processes involved in giving a holiday its official title.

The term is used primarily in academic discussions of Estonian-language and Baltic naming practices, but it can also apply to related multilingual contexts where public holidays are named through translation or adaptation. Puhkusename encompasses the full range of naming practices, from straightforward date-based descriptors to commemorative titles that honor historical events, people, or cultural ideals. It also covers cases where older names are revived or where names evolve due to shifts in national identity or administrative reform.

Scholars of puhkusename study how names shape public memory and identity, as well as how political changes, language policy, and social values influence holiday nomenclature. The naming of holidays can reflect shifts in state ideology, religious influence, or secularization, and may affect how the public perceives the significance of a given observance. Comparative analysis across languages and regions highlights common patterns in descriptive versus commemorative naming and the role of naming in cultural continuity. See also onomastics, toponymy, and cultural memory.