Saints
Life in Greece
is constantly accompanied by various saints: there is at least one for every
person, day, town, island, profession, illness, art, science etc. All Orthodox
Greeks are named after a saint and because of their importance, name days
are much more celebrated than birthdays. Even if you are not religious, you
might be interested in who these saints really were. Perhaps you are even
named after one!
Each saint is depicted in his or her own, individual style in icons and after
a while, you will learn how to identify them easily. For an icon painter,
it is extremely important to follow the strict rules of hagiography as the
icons are considered actual portaits of the saints; every colour, object,
hair style, hand gesture and symbol counts. Nothing is there by coincidence!
If you have a Greek friend, wish them chronia polla (many years) on
their name day, it will be very much appreciated!
Click on the saint of your choice to find out more about them.
