St. Olympias, December 17
A wealthy widow of Constantinople, Olympias (c. 360-408) became a deaconess and gave her fortune to the poor and the Church. A loyal friend of St. John Chrysostom, she was exiled after him. Seventeen of his letters to her survive.
December 17 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Olympias, widow on this date.
Other saints on December 17
- St. Lazarus, friend of Jesus, on his traditional date
Name days on December 17
In countries that keep name days, December 17 is the day for people named Olympia.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Olympia | December 17 |
December 17 on the calendar
December 17 is the 351st day of the year (the 352nd in a leap year), with 14 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday |
| 2027 | Friday |
| 2028 | Sunday |
| 2029 | Monday |
| 2030 | Tuesday |
Keeping December 17
December 17 falls in the last days of Advent. Since the general calendar has no celebration that day, the Mass is usually that of the weekday of the season, and the saint may be remembered in local calendars or in personal prayer. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Olympia, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around December 17
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| December 14 | St. John of the Cross |
| December 15 | St. Nino of Georgia |
| December 16 | St. Adelaide |
| December 18 | St. Flannan |
| December 19 | Bl. Urban V |
| December 20 | St. Dominic of Silos |
The day before, December 16, is the day of St. Adelaide. The day after, December 18, belongs to St. Flannan. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.