St Simeon

St. Simeon Feast Day and Greek Name Day

St. Simeon is honored in the Orthodox Christian Church as the righteous elder who recognized the infant Jesus as the Messiah when He was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. His feast day is celebrated on February 3, and on this day people named Simeon, Symeon, Simos, and Simon celebrate their Greek name day.

Who Was St. Simeon

St. Simeon, often called Simeon the God-Receiver, lived in Jerusalem during the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. According to Christian tradition, he was a devout and righteous man who spent his life waiting for the coming of the Messiah.

The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Christ.

Encounter with the Infant Christ

When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple as part of the Jewish purification tradition, St. Simeon recognized that the child was the long-awaited Savior. He took the infant Christ into his arms and praised God, declaring that he had now seen the salvation prepared for all people.

This moment is remembered in the Gospel of Luke and is closely connected with the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Greek Name Day for Simeon

Because St. Simeon is commemorated on February 3, this date is also the Greek name day for:

Simeon

Symeon

Simos

Simon

In Greek culture, celebrating a name day is often just as important as celebrating a birthday, and friends and family commonly offer well wishes or visits to honor the person whose name is being celebrated.

When Is St. Simeon Celebrated

The feast day of St. Simeon is observed each year on February 3 in the Greek Orthodox Church. His life is remembered for his faith and for his role in recognizing the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah.