Celebrate National Ellen Day
Few names in the world become so synonymous with a famous figure that the first thing people think of upon hearing them is that particular person. One of these examples is Ellen.
Ellen is an English girl’s name that means “torch” or “shining light.” Ellen has swung in and out of fashion for centuries, a medieval English form of Helen, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common name in medieval England until Helen overtook her after the Renaissance. In Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence, set at the end of the 19th century, one character wonders why another hasn’t changed her given name to something prettier, like Elaine. A statement few would make today. In popular culture, Ellen is the name of two First Ladies, Arthur and Wilson, and Scarlett O’Hara’s mother in Gone with the Wind.
Dame Ellen MacArthur, a solo long-distance yachtswoman, broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in February of 2005. Ellen was also the name of Constantine the Great’s mother, a devout Christian credited with discovering the True Cross. It was a popular name in the United Kingdom because of the legend, which has no historical basis that she was born there.
And, of course, there’s the most important Ellen: our own Ellen Ottstadt—she who makes all things run smoothly here at Kendal on the Hudson.
So, what exactly happens on National Ellen Day? Well, it’s all about expressing appreciation for your favorite Ellens, whether they are friends, family members, or even beloved fictional characters. So, today—or any old time this week (we, our own self, are taking control and declaring this Kendal Ellen Week)—why not wish our very own Ellen “Happy Ellen Day!”