Neophytos can be celebrated on 3 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 Neophytos is celebrated
| New Calendar | Feast | Old Calendar (civil date) |
|---|---|---|
| January 21 | Neophytos the Martyr | February 3 |
| January 24 | Neophytos the Recluse | February 6 |
| May 5 | Neophytos, Gaius and Gaianos | May 18 |
The saints behind the name
Neophytos the Martyr
January 21, Martyr, Νεόφυτος
St. Neophytos was born in Nicaea and from childhood was distinguished by prayer and wonders; tradition relates that at ten he lived in a cave on Mount Olympus. In the persecution of Diocletian, at the age of fifteen, he confessed Christ before the governor, was tortured, and was pierced with a spear.
Neophytos the Recluse
January 24, Venerable, Νεόφυτος ο Έγκλειστος
St. Neophytos was born in Cyprus in 1134 and, after failing to reach the hermits of Mount Latros, carved a cell for himself in a cliff near Paphos, where he lived as a recluse for nearly fifty years. A community gathered around him, and he wrote many spiritual works.
Neophytos, Gaius and Gaianos
May 5, Martyr, Νεόφυτος, Γάιος και Γαϊανός
The synaxarion honors the martyrs Neophytos, Gaius and Gaianos on May 5, recording that they gave their lives for Christ. The place and time of their martyrdom are not preserved.
Also celebrating with Neophytos
These names share the feast, many of them other forms of the same name:
Neofytos, Neophyte, Neofitos, Gaios, Gaius
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.