When is Athanasia’s name day?

Most people named Athanasia keep their name day on January 18, the feast of Athanasios the Great. The Orthodox calendar has 2 other feasts for the name.

Every feast on which Athanasia is celebrated

The saints behind the name

• Athanasios the Great

  January 18, Hierarch, Αθανάσιος ο Μέγας

  St. Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, was born about the year 297 and as a young deacon accompanied his bishop to the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea, where he stood against Arius in defense of the divinity of Christ. Made bishop of Alexandria in 328, he was driven into exile five times by Arian emperors yet never yielded, so that it was said of him: Athanasius against the world.

  Name days: Athanasios, Thanassis, Thanos, Nasis, Atanas, Athanasius, Thanasis, Thanasi, Athanasis, Athanasia, Nasia, Sia

• Athanasia of Aegina

  April 18, Holy Woman, Αθανασία η εξ Αιγίνης

  Athanasia was born on the island of Aegina in the ninth century and was twice married, the second time to a man who himself later became a monk. Freed to follow her heart's desire, she founded a convent on the island and was made its abbess.

  Name days: Athanasia, Athanassia, Nasia, Athanasoula

• Andronikos and Athanasia

  October 9, Venerable, Ανδρόνικος και Αθανασία

  Andronikos was a goldsmith of Antioch in the fifth century, married to Athanasia; they gave a third of their earnings to the poor and lived in piety. When both of their children died on the same day, they resolved to give themselves wholly to God.

  Name days: Andronikos, Andronicus, Andronicos, Athanasia

Also celebrating on January 18

These names share the feast, many of them other forms of the same name:

Athanasios, Thanassis, Thanos, Nasis, Atanas, Athanasius, Thanasis, Thanasi, Athanasis, Nasia, Sia

What to say on a name day

The Greek wish is Χρόνια Πολλά (Chronia Polla), “many years.” A call or a short message on the day is what people remember. See name day wishes you can send and what a name day is.