Name day
Paraskevas: Name Day and Patron Saint
Paraskevas keeps the name day on 28 October, or 10 November on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Paraskeva.
By Greek custom the name day is 26 July: St Paraskeva.
By custom, Paraskevas is kept with the name Paraskevi and shares its saint and day.
- Patron saint
- St Paraskeva
- New Calendar
- 28 October
- Old Calendar
- 10 November
- Next name day
- 28 October 2026 (New Calendar) · 10 November 2026 (Old Calendar)
- Greek custom
- 26 July: St Paraskeva
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of October · The feasts of November
The patron saint: St Paraskeva
Kept on 28 October, or 10 November on the Old Calendar · Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa of Iconium (the Russian 'Pyatnitsa')
She gave her life to Christ, refused to sacrifice to idols, endured beating and iron claws, was miraculously healed in prison, and was beheaded. In Russia she is loved as Paraskeva Pyatnitsa: churches and wayside chapels bore her name, and her icons guard pious and happy households. St Paraskevi of Rome, a second-century virgin martyr, preached Christ after her parents’ death, survived a cauldron of boiling oil, and restored the sight of the ruler who was blinded there; Greeks honor her as protector of the eyes. St Paraskeva the New (Petka), an eleventh-century ascetic of Epivates, rests incorrupt at Iasi. Orthodox Christians pray to these holy women for their families, their marriages and their health.
What the faithful pray for
- a happy marriage and a good choice of husband
- a good bridegroom for a young woman
- peace, harmony and well-being in the home
- the conception of a child and an easy birth
- the health of children
- healing of the eyes and restored sight
- healing of grievous illness of body and soul
- the protection of fields, crops and livestock
- help in all the needs of daily life
Protection
- the household from discord and quarrels
- from eye diseases
- from fever, headache and toothache (Russian folk prayers)
- cattle from disease
- from grievous illness of body and soul
Miracles
- St Paraskeva of Iconium, raked with iron claws and thrown into prison lacerated to the bone, was miraculously healed by God before her beheading. (source)
- St Paraskevi of Rome emerged unharmed from a cauldron of boiling oil and tar; when the watching ruler was blinded by a splash of it, her prayer restored his sight — which is why she is shown holding a dish with two eyes. (source)
- At the tomb of St Paraskevi of Rome the blind received sight, the lame walked and barren women bore children. (source)
- The incorrupt relics of St Paraskeva the New, carried from Epivates to Trnovo, Belgrade and Constantinople, were brought to Iasi in 1641, where many healings took place. (source)
Other saints named Paraskevas
St Paraskeva
Kept on 26 July, or 8 August on the Old Calendar · Virgin Martyr Paraskevi of Rome (the Greek 'protector of the eyes')
She gave her life to Christ, refused to sacrifice to idols, endured beating and iron claws, was miraculously healed in prison, and was beheaded. In Russia she is loved as Paraskeva Pyatnitsa: churches and wayside chapels bore her name, and her icons guard pious and happy households. St Paraskevi of Rome, a second-century virgin martyr, preached Christ after her parents’ death, survived a cauldron of boiling oil, and restored the sight of the ruler who was blinded there; Greeks honor her as protector of the eyes. St Paraskeva the New (Petka), an eleventh-century ascetic of Epivates, rests incorrupt at Iasi. Orthodox Christians pray to these holy women for their families, their marriages and their health.
What the faithful pray for
- a happy marriage and a good choice of husband
- a good bridegroom for a young woman
- peace, harmony and well-being in the home
- the conception of a child and an easy birth
- the health of children
- healing of the eyes and restored sight
- healing of grievous illness of body and soul
- the protection of fields, crops and livestock
- help in all the needs of daily life
Protection
- the household from discord and quarrels
- from eye diseases
- from fever, headache and toothache (Russian folk prayers)
- cattle from disease
- from grievous illness of body and soul
Miracles
- St Paraskeva of Iconium, raked with iron claws and thrown into prison lacerated to the bone, was miraculously healed by God before her beheading. (source)
- St Paraskevi of Rome emerged unharmed from a cauldron of boiling oil and tar; when the watching ruler was blinded by a splash of it, her prayer restored his sight — which is why she is shown holding a dish with two eyes. (source)
- At the tomb of St Paraskevi of Rome the blind received sight, the lame walked and barren women bore children. (source)
- The incorrupt relics of St Paraskeva the New, carried from Epivates to Trnovo, Belgrade and Constantinople, were brought to Iasi in 1641, where many healings took place. (source)
Paraskevas in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Παρασκευάς, Paraskevas | Πάρης, Paris |
An icon for Paraskevas
We don't carry an icon of St Paraskeva yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychChrist Pantocrator & Our Lady of Kazan
Also prayed to for eyes and vision$99$69
Folding diptychSt Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel
Also prayed to for business and success$99$69
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God
Christ and the Mother of God keep every Christian home$99$69
For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.
A name-day gift for Paraskevas
Name-Day Gift Set $213$149
A patron saint's folding diptych chosen by first name, a stainless steel crucifix and a prayer rope, in a gift box with a card giving the saint's life and feast day.
The St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel Folding Diptych is chosen, for the Guardian Angel every Orthodox Christian receives at baptism, and the name is filled in.
Other names with this saint
Questions
When is Paraskevas’s name day?
Paraskevas keeps the name day on 28 October on the New Calendar and on 10 November on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Paraskeva. By Greek custom it is kept on 26 July: St Paraskeva.
Who is the patron saint of Paraskevas?
St Paraskeva. She gave her life to Christ, refused to sacrifice to idols, endured beating and iron claws, was miraculously healed in prison, and was beheaded.
What is a good name-day gift for Paraskevas?
We don’t carry an icon of St Paraskeva yet, and you can ask for one on this page. Every Orthodox Christian has a Guardian Angel from baptism, so the Name-Day Gift Set ($149) with the Guardian Angel diptych is always fitting.
More about name days
- Name Days Explained: What They Are, How Families Keep Them, and Gifts
A name day is the feast of the saint whose name you carry. Here is how to find yours on either calendar, how Greek and Russian families keep it, and what to give.
- Orthodox Patron Saint: How to Find Yours (by Name, Day or Choice)
Your Orthodox patron saint is the saint whose name you were given at baptism. Here is how to find yours by name, by the day of your birth or baptism, or by choice, and how to keep the name day.
- Find another name
Sources
- OCA — Greatmartyr Paraskevi of Iconium
- OCA — Martyr Paraskevi of Rome
- OCA — Venerable Paraskevi (Petka) of Serbia
- Azbuka very — Великомученица Параскева Пятница
- Calend.ru — Параскева-Пятница, Бабья заступница
- Rambler — Покровительница семьи: кому помогает Параскева Пятница
- John Sanidopoulos — The Wondrous Saint Paraskevi
- Greek City Times — Feast Day of Agia Paraskevi, protector of the eyes
- eortologio.net, Greek name-day calendar (Εορτολόγιο)
- azbyka.ru, Месяцеслов (the Russian Church's calendar of saints by name)