The popular name Daria is considered by many to be an old Russian name. But in fact, the holy name Daria came to us along with Christianity from Byzantium. It has a rich church history and is associated with the names of various saints.
Therefore, Daria’s name day according to the church calendar is celebrated several times a year. Accordingly, girls and women with the name Daria can celebrate Angel Day and name days according to the church calendar several times.
But only one day for Daria is name day and angel day, the rest are small name days. To understand what date is Daria’s name day according to the Orthodox church calendar in 2021, let’s figure out what patrons he has.
All name day dates and patrons of the name Daria in Orthodoxy
At baptism, girls are named after the calendar of Darius. As such, the Orthodox name Daria is absent from the calendar. Therefore, Angel Day for girls and women with such names are considered the days when saints with the name Darius are honored.
In Orthodoxy, the name of Darius is honored 5 times a year. Moreover, each time different saints with this name are glorified, and on August 18 there is the feast of the 2 New Martyrs.
| date | Patron |
| March 14th | New Martyr Daria (Zaitseva) |
| April 1 | Daria of Rome |
| April, 4 | Daria the martyr |
| August 17 | Saint Daria |
| August 18 | New Martyr Daria (Timolina) |
| August 18 | New Martyr Daria (Siushinskaya) |
Daria of Rome is considered the main patroness, but Angel Day named Daria will be celebrated on the date closest to the girl’s birthday according to the calendar.
For example, if a girl was born on March 1, then her Angel Day should be celebrated on March 14.
On the remaining days of Daria, according to the calendar, you can congratulate Dasha on her small name day.
In the Catholic calendar, Darius of Rome is celebrated on October 25th. Therefore, Catholics celebrate the name day named Daria only once a year, regardless of the date of birth of the culprit.
Characteristics of the birthday girl Daria:
A very sonorous and very beautiful, energetically powerful ancient name. Its roots go so deep into the past that it is difficult to even determine its origin. It is usually interpreted as the feminine form of the name of three kings of the ancient Persian dynasty (VI-IV centuries BC), who entered our history as Darius (ancient Greek Dareiros). Translated from Persian, Daria means (literally) strong, conquering.
In Greek mythology, the name Dar (dan), similar in sound and meaning, belongs to the son of the supreme god Zeus and the galaxy of Electra Dar (dan) founded the city of the same name and ruled in it. Subsequently, Dar (dan) founded a number of cities - the Dardania region.
In Greece of those times, another Darius (Dares, Daret) is known - a priest at the temple of the god of fire and blacksmithing, Hephaestus. Dares entered ancient history as one of the first (pre-Homeric) authors of the famous poem about the Trojan battle of the Hellenes - the Iliad. The name with the root “gift” - Daruma - is also revered in Japan as a saint who brings happiness and fulfills wishes.
A name closer in sound to the modern Daria - Dasa (Dasya, Dasyu) is also known in India. Here it belongs to demons, and Dasha (ratha) in India is the ancient name of a king who was the father of a large dynasty of gods, including Rama, one of the most revered gods in India.
However, all these names - our Daria's great-great-grandfathers - belong to men everywhere. It is difficult to say how and why it has turned into the tender Dashenka in our time. Maybe thanks to the “sunny” auspicious Rama? In principle, now it no longer matters. Among the Eastern Slavs, Dasha is one of the most popular names, at all times, including at the beginning of the third millennium.
Modern Daryushkas are mostly self-confident, independent, proud women with an integral nature. They never “spray” themselves over trifles - they know how to set a clear goal for themselves, determine methods (and worthy ones) for achieving it. Dasha has been organized since childhood, loves order and cleanliness in the house. Don’t think that Dashenka is a bore. No, this is a cheerful, kind, ordinary girl. Only she knows how to fend for herself on her own, without mom and dad. She will not “reach” for a word in her pocket where it is necessary to put a boorish wit in her place.
She is not an excellent student, but she studies well and does not cram, as she has a good memory and can quickly grasp the essence of things. Therefore, she achieves much greater success in the professional field than some excellent students. Dasha is not a prude. She will not gossip about other people's past sins. For her, the main thing is what kind of person is now, what kind of person he is in general: evil or fair, kind or greedy. The family has a wonderful housewife, wife and mother. Hospitable, loves to have fun. Knows how to create a festive atmosphere.
Name day March 14 – New Martyr Daria Zaitseva
Daria Petrovna Zaitseva was born in the Ryazan province in 1870. When the girl turned 19 years old, she went to a monastery located in the Moscow province in Zvenigorod district.
When the Anosin Boris and Gleb Monastery was closed in 1928, the nun went to live in the village of Kholmy. Here she led a secular life and served in the Znamenovskaya Church. Since 1938 she was a church warden. However, following a denunciation, she was arrested in 1938 - she was accused of counter-revolutionary agitation.
The verdict was not long in coming - the woman was sentenced to capital punishment.
Daria was shot on March 14, 1938. She was canonized as a saint in 2002 by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since then, on March 14, the day of her death, the New Martyr Daria has been honored.
Patron saints named after
In the Orthodox calendar, Daria is referred to as Daria.
Patron saints of the name:
- Daria Zaitseva (venerable martyr);
- Darius of Rome (great martyr);
- Darius (martyr);
- Righteous Darius;
- Daria Timagina, Sushchinskaya, Ulybina (new martyrs).
Daria Zaitseva (1870-1938) was a nun at the Borisoglebsky Monastery until its closure in 1928. In subsequent years, she had to live at a church in the village of Kholmy, Moscow region. In 1934, church parishioners elected her head of the school. Contrary to the government ban, she sold holy water and lamp oil to the laity. She was arrested and executed for spreading her religious views. Memorial Day is March 14th.
In the Orthodox secular calendar, Righteous Daria is remembered on August 17, but there is no information about her life and there is no iconographic image of her.
In the 20th century, three martyrs suffered for the faith of Christ, whose memory is celebrated on the same day, August 18.
Holy Martyr Daria
In Orthodoxy, on April 4, the Holy Church commemorates the martyr Darius, a Christian martyr who lived at the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The Roman Emperor Trajan brutally persecuted Christians. According to his decree, it was forbidden to bury the bodies of executed Christians. Five Christian girls, including Daria, performed the burial ceremony in secret to prevent desecration of their bodies. Christian persecutors tracked down and captured the girls. By order of Trajan they were burned in a smelting furnace.
Holy Martyr Daria of Rome
We know about the Great Martyr Darius of Rome from the Lives of the Saints, written by order of Pope Stephen II in the 8th century. At the end of the third century, persecution of Christians continued in the Roman Empire. The new religion supplanted paganism, which, according to the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, could influence statehood.
Daria was a priestess in the temple of Athena. A young and beautiful girl, she believed in pagan deities and did not doubt her faith until she married Chrysanthus. The young patrician, the son of Senator Polemus, became an outcast in the family because of his rejection of paganism. He independently read the Scriptures and delved into the teachings of Christ.
His parents believed that a pagan priestess could restore him to the faith of his ancestors. However, it turned out that the opposite was true. Chrysanthus was so convincing that Darius also converted to Christianity. Chrysanthus found a presbyter and was baptized, after which he began to preach the new religion to his friends. He convinced Daria to take a vow of celibacy in order to serve Jesus Christ.
The young couple began to live like brother and sister. Over time, they moved into separate houses and formed communities (male and female), where they preached the New Testament and called for the rejection of marriage. Based on a report from neighbors, the couple was arrested.
Chrysanthos was tortured. However, the young ascetic was enlightened by divine power. Neither thorns, nor chains, nor ox ropes harmed him. These miracles made a deep impression on the judge. Together with his wife, two sons and servants, he converted to Christianity. When Marcus Aurelius was informed of this, he ordered the tribune to be drowned in the sea, the heads of his sons and servants to be cut off, and the bodies to be thrown into a cave. The mother visited the place where they were buried and prayed secretly.
The woman was being pursued and wanted to be captured. But Hilary (a convert, the magistrate's wife) asked her pursuers for a respite so that she could finish her prayer. At the end of the prayer, she breathed her last. The maid buried Hilary in a cave next to her sons.
Chrysanthus was thrown into a pit of sewage, and Darius was placed in a brothel. The stench of sewage gave way to a smell. Leo entered the brothel, blocking the path of the rapists. The mighty beast did not allow anyone to get close to Daria. He growled menacingly, knocking her to the ground, but did not kill or maim anyone. The girl preached the word of God to those who came with unclean thoughts and let them go.
Soon the Romans learned about a miracle: a Christian woman was guarding a wild beast. To silence rumors, the brothel was set on fire. The lion was afraid of fire and smoke. Darius allowed him to leave the house and was captured by the guards. The couple was tortured and then buried alive in the ground.
Not far from the burial site, secret Christians began to gather in a cave and pray. When the emperor was informed about this, he ordered that no one be allowed out of the cave, and that the entrance be covered with earth and stones, creating a mass grave for several dozen people. The day dedicated to this couple is celebrated on April 1st.
Icon and prayer of St. Daria of Rome
The icon of Daria of Rome protects against any temptations and temptations.
Parents often turn to her so that the saint protects their growing daughters from mistakes.
For girls and women, Daria of Rome is the heavenly patroness. The Holy Icon will help you make the right decisions and, with prayer, get rid of illnesses and spiritual sorrow.
Prayer to Saints Chrysanthus and Daria:
“Oh, holy and blessed passion-bearers, martyrs of Christ Chrysanthe and Daria! We, unworthy, resort to you at the throne of God and to our warm, quick helpers and our prayer books. Hear now this prayer of ours and pray to our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, Him whom you confessed in your grave torment before the insane tormentors and persecutors of the holy faith of Christ, for us unworthy sinners. For the sake of the faith of Christ, you endured much torment and were put to death, adorning the Church of Christ and crowning with crowns of immortal glory, in unspeakable joy you are installed with the faces of angels in heavenly villages. Illuminated with divine light. Show us also a powerful intercession: preserve the faith of Christ in purity, show courage in suffering and temptation, contentment in everyday needs, always have constancy in prayer and love for God and neighbors. Instruct us, holy martyrs, with your prayers on the path of salvation, strengthen our feet to walk firmly and unwaveringly in the path of the Lord’s commandments, admonishing those who are lost, granting healing to the sick, deliverance to the needy, protection to those living in marriage, and everything useful to us for salvation. As we are guided by your prayers and strengthened by your intercession, let us glorify our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His beginningless Father and His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."
Troparion to the Martyr Daria of Rome:
“Your Lamb, Jesus, Daria cries out loudly: “I love You, my Bridegroom, and, seeking You, I suffer, and I am crucified and buried with You in Your baptism, and I endure torment for You, that I may reign in You, and die for You.” to live with You; but, accept me as an immaculate sacrifice, offered to You with love!” Through her intercessions, as the Merciful One, save our souls.”
