On August 20, name day is celebrated by all who bear the name Samuel, which means: "Beseeched by God".
The legend tells that in the city of Rama or Arimathea, there lived a pious man named Elkanah from the tribe of Levi. He had two wives - Anna and Fenana. His beloved wife Anna was childless, and among the Israelites barrenness was considered a sign of God's displeasure. That's why Anna was very sad, and her friends were surprised by her and even despised her.
Elkanah diligently fulfilled all the ordinances of the law. On all the great holidays he went with his family to Shilom, where the tabernacle was then, to offer sacrifice to God.
Once after a sacrifice he sat down to eat lunch with his family. Only Anna alone could not eat anything: her heart was full of sadness and she again went to the tabernacle to pray. She prayed and cried for a long time. She begged God to give her a son and promised that if he showed her this mercy, she would dedicate him to Him.
The merciful God fulfilled her request: she gave birth to a son and named him Samuel, which means "begged of God".
Source: dariknews.bg