Holy Queen Alexandra Ascended to Heaven (Karl Bryullov, 1845)
The name is ancient Greek, in fact, a derivative of the masculine, meaning “protector”, “protector”. “Alexandra” was sometimes called the mythical wife of the Greek god Zeus, Hera, as well as the soothsayer of the distant times of the Trojan War - however, better known under the name Cassandra. All this has long been - and, apparently, rightly - forgotten. After all, the name has long become Christian, being associated with more than a dozen saints of God.
How many saints with this name are there in the church calendar?
Now there are as many as 13 of them, and 8 are almost our contemporaries, glorified as Russian new martyrs after 2000. Of the other wives:
- 4 – lived during times of persecution of faith, glorified as martyrs;
- 1 – in the 19th century, also glorified since the 2000s.
Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova
When is Alexandra’s name day according to the Orthodox calendar?
When there are several named saints, it is possible to choose a revered patroness. There are no firmly established rules here, only some recommendations that are preserved by pious tradition. According to her, several options are possible:
- the saint of God, whose memorial day is closest to the Christian’s birthday;
- It also happens that an Orthodox woman especially reveres the saint of God, the life and spiritual structure of which are especially close to the soul; such a choice is also quite possible.
If a saint has several memorial days, the one close to her birthday will be considered a name day, while others are sometimes called “small name days.”
When is Sasha’s girl’s name day?
The heavenly patron of the child is, of course, chosen by the parents, but the principles of this choice are still the same.
When is the name day for women named Alexandra according to the Orthodox calendar?
These are the following days of remembrance:
- Alexandra, glorified as new martyrs, is honored in memory of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia ; This is a moving date; it is celebrated on February 7 - if it is Sunday; if not, then the holiday falls on the next Sunday; for some new martyrs the day of death remains unknown, so the Council is their only memorial day;
- of the 13 saints of God, 11 have their own days of remembrance - usually associated with death, transition to the Kingdom of Heaven; these dates (new style) are March 14 and 22, April 2, May 6, June 26, July 17, September 30, October 13 and 18, November 19, December 23.
Sex
Alexandra often experiences physical satisfaction from sex, but it’s never enough for her. She does not know how to take initiative, so her partner must take everything upon himself. He doesn’t talk about intimate topics because he can’t find the words to express all his feelings. As a rule, the partner must guess for himself whether she agrees to a close relationship. Sasha herself never shows her approval. Sex for the owner of such a name is only physical satisfaction, often not carrying any higher feelings and emotions.
The most revered saints Alexander and their days of memory
Each of them is dear to the hearts of believers. Their exploits were different, but most of the saints of God were martyrs who accepted death for Christ.
Queens
Of the ancient saints, the most revered is the martyr. Alexandra of Rome, queen . As the ancient lives indicate, she turned to Christ thanks to the feat of confessing the faith of the great martyr. St. George the Victorious.
Alexandra Rimskaya. Mosaic on cardboard by Nikolai Bodarevsky. Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg
The lives of the saint of God speak in various ways about her death:
- according to one of the most common versions, she was the wife of Emperor Diocletian, the last years of whose reign became a time of severe anti-Christian persecution; seeing the suffering of St. George, Alexandra came to the place of execution, where she confessed herself to be a follower of Christ; her enraged husband immediately sentenced her to death; but on the way to the place of execution, the queen, by the providence of God, died, having completed her feat;
- according to other sources, Alexandra is not the emperor’s wife; it is known that his wife’s name was Prisca; however, according to this version, the martyr still belonged to the royal family, perhaps she was the widow of one of the former rulers of Rome; in any case, the fact of her conversion to Christ, as well as her martyrdom around 303 or 313, is undoubted.
Traditionally, her memorial day is the same as that of the Great Martyr. George, May 6.
Another revered queen-martyr is the wife of Nicholas II , Alexandra Feodorovna , who was killed along with her entire family on July 17, 1918. It was then that her memory is honored along with other Royal Passion-Bearers.
The royal family in the Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg.
Reverend
With St. The name of St. Seraphim of Sarov is connected . Alexandra, founder of the current Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery . The lay mother bore the name Agathia, and was the wife of the landowner Melgunov. When she was 25 years old, and had a young daughter in her arms, Agathia suffered a misfortune - her husband died. A young widow completely changed her life by deciding to become a nun. The place where her ascetic journey began was the Florovsky Monastery in Kyiv. However, on the direct orders of the Most Pure Virgin, she leaves Kiev, having the blessing of the Mother of God - to establish a women's monastery.
St. Alexandra entrusts the sisters to St. Seraphim. Wall painting of the Kazan Church of the Diveyevo Monastery
The place where the community first appeared (later becoming a monastery) was Diveevo , and the spiritual leaders of the sisters were the elders of the Sarov Monastery, first the abbot, Fr. Pachomius, and after his death - St. Seraphim . He buried his mother, who before her death took monastic vows with the name Alexandra. The monk spoke about her:
“She is a great wife, a saint, her humility was inscrutable, a constant source of tears, the purest prayer to God, unfeigned love for everyone!”
Mother's memory is celebrated on June 26.
New Martyrs
The earthly life of many of them is still waiting for its researcher - many documents have been lost, witnesses of their exploits died during persecution. Here are just a few names:
- novice Alexandra Khvorostyannikova was arrested in 1937 as a “church member”, an open confessor of the faith of Christ; Even before the revolution, she entered the women's community, then, although she did not have time to take monastic vows, she led, in essence, a monastic lifestyle; she did not hide either her faith or her critical attitude towards power; Mother was sentenced to 10 years; on September 30, 1943, she died in a camp;
- Venerable Martyr Alexandra Chervyakov bore this monastic name in honor of the blessed. Alexander Nevsky ; by the 1930s, she was considered a famous, moreover, insightful old woman, to whom many came for spiritual advice; Mother’s house also provided shelter for clergy returning from exile; the authorities, of course, could not help but pay attention to the confessor - she was arrested, and on October 13, 1937, she was shot at the Butovo training ground.
Childhood
Little Sasha is very sincere and good-natured. The girl strives to be not only the first, but also the best in everything. Strives to become a leader among his peers. Active, efficient and restless. Constantly evolving and moving somewhere. But it doesn’t bring any particular problems to parents.
He quickly establishes good friendships with children. Strives not only to control others, but also to dominate. Parents should make every effort to eliminate this deficiency. Otherwise, misunderstandings will often arise in the future.
Can a holy man be the patron saint of a woman?
Alexandra (Chervyakova) shows , of course, yes. However, according to tradition, such names are still given to nuns. This, as it were, especially emphasizes that God “has neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28), and the feat of monastic life requires courage - that is, a masculine quality.
At the same time, there is no prohibition on choosing any saint. Alexandra for a girl at Baptism, if such a saint of God is especially close to the family. In addition to the blessed prince, several dozen more Alexanders can be found according to the Saints. Parents who choose a male saint as a patron for a girl are usually advised to discuss the issue with the priest performing the Sacrament.
Talents, profession, career
Choice of profession:
She's unpredictable. Everything around Alexandra must be in motion and certainly at the pace that she sets. Alexandra usually chooses a job that involves travel; sitting in one place is not her thing. Alexandra needs to show authority. Can be a school director or assistant. Adapts perfectly to any environment if necessary.
The girl is influenced. Intuition is moderately developed. Places more importance on being the first to know something. A girl with this name is smart and more hardworking than talented. Alexandra achieves success thanks to her great capacity for work. But the girl’s professional activities are not in first place.
The best job for Alexandra is one that involves travel; an extremely active girl simply cannot sit still. She needs to show authority; the professions of director, assistant, or bank employee are suitable. The pace of work is fast, and everyone around must match it. She attaches great importance to science, she often works as an actress, also as a cutter, hairdresser, and will succeed in the service sector. Alexandra is more hardworking than talented.
Welfare:
By nature, Shurochka is lively, restless and tireless. A child with this name is always close to adults. The character is solid, masculine. Alexandra's image is that of a business woman. Life is spent in competition with someone and something. Alexandra is so active in society and family that she has no strength left for tenderness towards her husband. Alexandra is both tender and prickly. Acts recklessly: rushes headlong towards some goal, and then analyzes whether it was worth doing or not.
“Autumn” Sasha is picky and grumpy. Can be a doctor, a cashier, a salesperson. The name matches patronymics: Savelyevna, Filippovna, Alekseevna, Grigorievna, Viktorovna, Mikhailovna, Makarovna.
The “summer” name Alexandra promises - a quick temper, she loves to weave intrigues and gossip.
“Spring” Sasha is capricious and narcissistic, Alexandra likes young men. Suitable for working as a cutter, hairdresser, theater actress, and will succeed in the service sector.
How not to confuse it with Angel's Day
Ancient Christians separated two holidays:
- day of the Angel , that is, the adoption of Baptism, when a person is given a heavenly Guardian;
- the name day itself, or “name day”, when the saint of God of the same name to the believer is celebrated.
Nowadays the tradition is no longer observed so strictly; you can often find the concepts of “Angel’s Day” and “Name Day” used as synonyms. But it is still useful to know about the ancient custom, and the day of Epiphany is truly special, worthy of being celebrated properly along with the memory of the heavenly patron.
Iconography: Guardian Angel Dates: XIX century. Second half of the 19th century. Material: Wood, oil Dimensions of the icon: height 31 cm, width 25.5 cm Frontal image of a full-length guardian angel.
Iconography
Icon painters depict Saint Alexandra of Rome separately, in a plot with the Great Martyr George and the angel, Emperor Diocletian. On the icon the martyr is depicted in royal attire, with a cross in her right hand. The left hand is raised in a blessing gesture.
The icon painters' reference book "Erminia" contains a description of Alexandra during the execution of the Great Martyr George: the dead queen sits on a stone, an angel accepts her soul. In the confession story, the Roman emperor threatens Alexandra standing before him.
How to celebrate your name day
Traditionally Christian women on this day:
- they try to attend the service the day before, confess, and in the morning come to the Liturgy in order to receive Communion;
- if the name day is a weekday, and the woman or girl must be at work or school, you can begin the sacraments on the Sunday closest to the name day; Many people celebrate the day of the holiday with intense prayer to their patroness - for example, you can read a canon or akathist at home;
- It is also quite acceptable to gather friends and family for a small feast on this day; however, it is necessary to remember the spiritual essence of the celebration, that the day is primarily dedicated not to the “birthday girl” herself, but to her heavenly patroness; such pious celebrations, as the experience of the Church shows, are pleasing to the namesake saint, the Lord Himself.
Adulthood
A persistent, resilient and courageous woman. Charming and feminine, she is used to wearing a mask of indifference in society. This allows you to hide your true feelings. Especially if he hears criticism or offensive words addressed to him. Very vulnerable, she can store experiences inside herself for a long time.
She wants others to perceive her for who she is. However, she herself periodically tries to remake people, adjusting them to herself. Does not like conflicts, tries to avoid disputes. He always shows maximum delicacy and respect towards his interlocutor.
How to congratulate Alexandra on her name day, what to give
Name day gifts are usually somewhat different from those given, for example, for a birthday. However, there is nothing wrong with giving flowers or another similar gift on your name day. If you still want to connect it with the saint being celebrated, it could be:
- her icon;
- a life, or a book about her (for example, a lot of literature is devoted to the Royal Passion-Bearers, including Queen Alexandra, St. Alexandra of Diveyevo);
- perhaps some kind of shrine, for example, oil blessed on her relics.
The Lord has many saints who give us not just a moral example, but very often guide us through life, saving us from troubles, instructing, admonishing. Relationships with them are deeply personal and special. And the name day is a time when you want not only to pray, but also to remain silent, feeling in this silence the invisible presence of your heavenly patron.
Natalia Sazonova
Love
Alexandra's feelings can flare up unexpectedly and develop into strong love. If he does not feel reciprocity, he quickly loses interest. Having met a man who will conquer her, she is ready to get rid of her own rebellion.
The chosen one must surround her with warmth, attention and care. She wants to see a strong, strong-willed and self-sufficient man next to her. In relationships, he remains faithful, which is what he expects from his spouse. He will never forgive betrayal and betrayal.
To build a strong and happy relationship, Alexandra must stop trying to change the man she loves.
