The dies natalis is the day in which man is born to new life in Heaven. What we usually call death is indicated by the tradition of the Church to be the day of birth. The 4th of December 4 is the dies natalis of Saint Barbara, who suffered martyrdom by decapitation at the hands of her father. The year is not certain, since the different sources that have handed the memory of the saint down to us differ in this respect. The martyrdom might have taken place either under the reign of Maximinus Thrax (235-238), Maximian (286-305) or under Maximinus Daia (308-313). In any case, it was before the Edict of Milan issued by Constantine of which we are already celebrating the two thousandth anniversary and that extended freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman Empire. Written sources that tell us about her, or the passiones, books about the passion or martyrdom of the saint, also differ on the origin of the saint, most likely coming from Nicomedia or from Heliopolis, or even from Tuscany.
