Greek Name Day: Apollonia

Name Days are often named after a Christian saint or martyr and are mainly celebrated in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox countries. On this day, the holy person is celebrated, as well as anyone named after this person. Often, these celebrations are more important than birthdays.

The name Apollonia derives from Saint Apollonia, a virgin martyr who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius. She suffered grave torture to her teeth, for refusing to denounce Christ, resulting in her being referred to as the patroness of dentistry and tooth problems. In art, she is often depicted holding a dentistry tool such as tongs, holding up a tooth.