Dorothea can be celebrated on 2 feasts in the Orthodox calendar. People keep the feast of the saint they were named for, or the one their family has always kept.
Every feast on which Dorothea is celebrated
| New Calendar | Feast | Old Calendar (civil date) |
|---|---|---|
| February 6 | Dorothea of Caesarea | February 19 |
| February 11 | Theodora the Empress | February 24 |
The saints behind the name
Dorothea of Caesarea
February 6, Holy Woman, Δωροθέα
St. Dorothea was a devout maiden of Caesarea in Cappadocia who was arrested during the persecution of Diocletian. Two sisters who had lapsed from the faith were sent to sway her, but she brought them back to Christ and they were martyred with her.
Theodora the Empress
February 11, Holy Woman, Θεοδώρα η Βασίλισσα
St. Theodora was the wife of the iconoclast Emperor Theophilos. Throughout his reign she secretly venerated the holy icons, and after his death, ruling as regent for her son Michael, she convened the council of 843 that restored the icons to the churches, an event celebrated each year as the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
Also celebrating with Dorothea
These names share the feast, many of them other forms of the same name:
Dorothy, Dora, Theodora, Thea, Theodori
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.