Daria, Dasha, Dashutka, Dasha - what diminutive forms you can’t pick up from this old, sweet female name! Since time immemorial, it has come into our everyday life, and hardly anyone will remember now that the word comes from the ancient Persian language. 2 roots took part in its education, the general meaning of which is “owning a good gift”. Like most female names, it came from the male. Those who know history well remember the legendary Darius - I, II and III, the kings of the Persians. In Russia, Daria was mainly used to call girls from the common people; noble women rarely wore it. At the beginning of the Soviet era, the name lost its popularity and regained it by the end of the 70s of the last century. A real surge of passion was noted in 2009-2010. And now there are quite a lot of Dashutoks in urban and especially rural areas.
Patron saints
Calling the child so, the parents, of course, are interested: and when is the day of his Angel? When marks the name Daria name day, with whom exactly is it connected? Which saint Dasha should she turn to in prayers and whose icon should she give to the girl at baptism? Let's try to figure it out.
Traditions of antiquity
Many names have not only secular, so to speak, secular history, but also spiritual. It concerns our. Daria's birthday is celebrated both in the Orthodox and Catholic religions. They are associated with several real women who have undergone great and unjust torment for Christ.
The first of them is Darius of Rome, who lived in the 3rd century. She had amazing beauty and charm, a lively mind and a sincere belief in the correctness of paganism. However, having married a Christian, she believed in a new religion. First of all, the names of Daria are associated with her conversion and baptism. Together with her husband Chrysanthus, she preached new norms of human communion and God's commandments. Authorities led by Claudius brutally persecuted the family, but they themselves witnessed considerable miracles and soon shared the convictions of their prisoners. Kara from the emperor was not long in coming. Companions of Daria and Chrysathan were brutally executed. And the unfortunate Christian herself and her husband were given to reproach and desecration: he was thrown into a pit with sewage, she was sent to a brothel. However, as ancient sources inform us, in the early years of the spread of Christianity, divine miracles often occurred with martyrs. And here, Daria’s name day, secondly, mark her missionary activity among harlots, corrupt women and those who used their services. When someone tried to encroach on the body of a beautiful saint, a huge lion appeared out of nowhere and defended the girl, while not depriving the life of a hunter. And Daria preached. And everyone who came across this miracle was baptized and believed. Amazing events took place with her husband: instead of stench and abominations, his pit was full of fragrance. Realizing that the Holy Family could not be handled just like that, Emperor Numerian gave both executioners torture, and then ordered to be executed.
They suffered a martyr's death, being buried in the ground alive. Soon, both were
saints of the Christian Church. Catholic birthday is celebrated on October 25th. In Orthodoxy, its spiritual, moral exploits were reflected in such dates as August 17-18, April 1 and 4.
From Romulus to our time
In the holy calendar, not only the Roman Daria is mentioned. History remembers another, the venerable martyr, who was elevated to the rank of 10 years ago (in 2003).
This is Daria Zaitseva, a nun, the
head of the Znamenskaya
church in a village near Moscow. According to a denunciation of scoundrels who had served the Soviet regime, the woman was arrested. She did not hide her views and beliefs, and therefore in 1938
(March 14) she was shot. So marks another Orthodox name day Daria. According to the church calendar, the day of her death is recorded as the
day of the Angel. And Zaitseva herself was rehabilitated in 1989. A good name was returned to the woman, her reputation was restored.
Here is such an unusual fate for this name and its carriers.