Naming children: traditions in different parts of the world

Switzerland
People generally don’t name their children after themselves or relatives. For boys, biblical names are popular – Samuel, Noah, David or Matteo, although it would be impossible to name your boy Judas or Cain. The authorities block names they think might cause offence. You also can’t name a baby after a brand or a place, so Adidas and Zurich are out!  

The top ten girl names include Emma, Mia, Sofia, Lena and Lea. All these names have been around for a number of years. The only major change that has been noted is that shorter names are favoured nowadays.

A new law allows women to keep their own surname, or the couple can choose either the man’s or the woman’s surname as their married name. In fact, the majority of women take their husband’s surname so that they appear as a united family. As for men taking their wives’ surname – it almost never happens! 

Bali
Basically Balinese children are named according to the order they were born. So the firstborn child, be it a boy or a girl, is called Wayan or Gede. The second born is called Made or Kadek. The third is named Komang or Nyoman, and the fourth is called Ketut. Traditionally, Balinese families were encouraged to have only four children, but in families with a fifth child, the sequence starts from the beginning; for example, Wayan Balik, which means “Wayan again”.

To avoid confusion, many Balinese people use nicknames. These can be based on the person’s character, like Nyoman Santi, which means peaceful Nyoman. Or some people choose a Western name, as in Gede John. 

When the Balinese give their full name, they can add a prefix which shows their gender. “I” is used to indicate a man and “Ni” identifies a woman. So I Wayan Darma is a man and Ni Wayan Darma is a woman.

Italy
In the past Italians often named their children after their grandparents or when a child was born on the feast day of an important saint, they were sometimes named after that saint. Or a child born near Christmas might be called Natale or Natalia.

But nowadays Italian parents are more likely to choose a name that they like, or even a foreign name that refers to an international celebrity. The top names for girls are Sofia, Giulia and Martina, and for boys we have Francesco, Alessandro and Andrea. Popular non-Italian names for girls include Jennifer, Deborah or Ashley and Kevin, Patrick or Christian for boys.

When a woman marries, she keeps her surname, although she can add her husband’s name after her own name if she wants to.

Air traffic controller

Air traffic controllers are in radio and radar contact with pilots of aircraft, giving them advice, instructions and information about weather conditions and safe landing and take-off paths.

Air traffic controllers can specialise in three areas:

• Area controllers work in a control centre, which is responsible for air traffic between airports in a particular country.
• Approach controllers work in the control tower in the airport, guiding planes as they land.
• Aerospace controllers also work in the control tower, dealing with air traffic on the ground.

Training takes three years. The process starts with a three-month course in basic training. After this, trainees will be allocated to area control, approach or aerodrome and will have to do a nine-month theory course in their specialisation. The rest of the time is taken up with supervised, practical training and assessment.
Candidates must have good eyesight and good mental and physical health. They must be good at solving problems, have excellent communication skills and be able to remain calm and decisive in emergency situations. Furthermore, controllers must be ready to relocate to places where there are job openings.

Airline cabin crew

Airline cabin crew are responsible for the safety and comfort of passengers travelling on airplanes to international or national destinations.

Being a flight attendant involves having contact with people and also provides opportunities to travel. Their duties include welcoming passengers, showing them to their seats and assisting elderly and disabled passengers. They serve meals and snacks and are responsible for demonstrating safety equipment and procedures. They also sell duty-free products and write flight reports at the end of the journey.

Cabin crew need to have good interpersonal skills, and airlines expect their staff to be diplomatic towards passengers at all times. Airlines may also require staff to live near a particular airport so they can get to work at short notice. They often have to work long hours, at times including public holidays. On the plus side, flight attendants often enjoy the social aspect of their job and appreciate the opportunities to explore the world.

The career of flight attendant is open to anybody, although candidates with qualifications in tourism, nursing or foreign languages are preferred, as are those who have experience working with the public. Because of restricted space on board, airlines usually require staff to be of a certain height and weight. They are also required to wear a uniform and be well-groomed. Visible tattoos and piercings are not accepted by most airlines.

Employers require staff to complete a training course, which may include emergency procedures, customer service, first aid and legal and immigration matters, among other topics.

Dogs are good for you

Dog lovers know the positive impact that having a dog can bring. But maybe they don’t know that owning a dog makes you less likely to die from heart disease.

A study carried out in Sweden has shown that people who have a dog have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The 12-year study included 3.4 million people between the ages of 40 and 80 and showed that dog owners are 23% less likely to die from heart disease than non-dog owners.

Previous studies have shown that dog owners are physically more active than non-dog owners. “Better cardiovascular health might have something to do with the fact that dog owners get more exercise as they have to take their dog for a walk, even in bad weather,” commented one of the authors of the study.

“One interesting fact that the study showed is that owning a dog is particularly beneficial for people living alone,” the author added. With married couples or families with children, there will be more than one person taking the pet for walks and interacting with it. This may be one of the reasons why single pet owners have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the study.

There is evidence that physical interaction with a dog has a calming effect on humans. A number of studies have shown that stroking a dog lowers the person’s blood pressure. A pet’s calming effect may also help people deal with stressful situations. Stress seems to affect dog owners less than non-dog owners, as their blood pressure goes up less and returns to normal more quickly.

Another factor that reduces stress is that dog ownership has been shown to help people who are socially isolated or depressed, which increases the risk of dying. “Having a dog will get you out of the house regularly, so you can interact with more people. And if you need to go to hospital, a dog waiting for you at home is a big incentive to try to get back home as quickly as possible,” explained one of the authors.

A further benefit of sharing a home with a dog is that it brings dirt into the house. When a pet licks its owner, exposure to bacteria may have a positive effect on the person’s immune system and general health.

Owners of hunting dogs that need a lot of exercise, such as Weimaraners, retrievers or terriers, seem to be least likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. Although owning a dog brings a number of benefits to your health, you should not buy a dog just for the purpose of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. You should only have a dog if you are able to take care of it properly and give it the exercise it needs.