In the home of every Orthodox, a place of honor should be allocated for icons. It can be a simple shelf or part of the room. The main thing is that it is convenient for household members to turn their thoughts to God at any time, away from prying eyes.
Images depicting saints are not just beautiful pictures. Religious people believe in their power. Reading prayers, they thank the saints and God for the blessings, ask for help. For believers, the opportunity to turn to prayer is very important.
Placement of icons in the house
The placement of these shrines in the house should be taken very seriously. Of course, we are talking about people who sincerely believe, and not succumbed to the fashion for religion. What to make a home iconostasis from, how to arrange icons, photos and explanations you will find in the article.
The Bible recommends keeping the icons in the eastern part of the apartment, but modern layouts of the premises do not allow this. Better, if the owner himself determines the place for them in your home. “But you, when you pray, go into your room and close your door, pray to your Father. Which is in secret…”, - it is written in the gospel.
Prayer requires privacy, so the bedroom is best suited. It is recommended that you follow certain rules. It is forbidden to place photographs of living people, paintings or books of non-religious content next to the faces of saints. The red corner should be located far from the TV and computer. It's worth considering so that all family members could sit near the icons for prayer.
How to make a home iconostasis
For a home iconostasis, you can select a shelf in the closet or a small table with high legs. When creating it, it is worth considering several rules:
Choosing holy images for the home
You should not strive to overfill your iconostasis and turn it into a collection. It is better to find out in advance which icons must be in the house, and who is your patron saint.
According to church traditions, the icon of the Holy Trinity is considered very strong. Its original is in the Tretyakov Gallery, and a consecrated copy is in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. It depicts the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Usually this image is installed above the rest. To the right of the Holy Trinity, place the image of Christ the Savior, to the left - Holy Mother of God. Below them should be the faces of the apostles, even lower than the image of the saints. If in doubt how to properly hang icons in an apartment, invite a clergyman.
Where else should the icons be in the apartment? considered protective, it is usually hung over the front door, so that there is always peace and tranquility in the house. Sometimes the face of the Virgin is placed nearby, which will take uninvited guests away from the house and protect the owners from quarrels and scandals.
Orthodox icons can be placed in the kitchen, so that it is convenient for the household to pray before eating. Make sure that drops do not fall on the images when cooking, it is better to put them in a glass cabinet. Sincere prayer does not interfere
Parents always want to protect their children from other people's influence, evil eye and disease. The icons of the Guardian Angel and the Mother of God are the best fit. After all, they are real embodiments of protection and care. Place the images above the crib away from electronic devices. It is necessary to explain to the child what the images mean, how to pray and take care of them.
The only place in the apartment where you can not have it is the bathroom and toilet room. Such placement is considered sacrilege.
If you plan to leave the apartment for a long time, then you can take a few icons with you to a temporary home in order to triple a small red corner there.
The placement and creation of the iconostasis is a very serious matter and should be discussed together with all family members. For the sake of placing holy images, do not be afraid to change the interior and arrange everything according to the rules.
AT Orthodox tradition icon painting and the veneration of holy images occupy a special position. As you know, in Catholicism there are slightly different images that are more like paintings, and some other branches of Christianity do not accept revered images at all. Nevertheless, an Orthodox believer needs to know which icons must be in the house, why and where these images should be placed.
Before looking at the various images, some basic details need to be defined. Many believers understand them, but it will be very useful to repeat and focus on them:
Therefore, when choosing where the icons should be in the apartment, one should focus primarily on a personal connection with each image. You need to realize the value of this or that icon for your own religious practice. At the same time, of course, there is a minimum that every believer is advised to have.
When images are chosen, it is necessary to understand why they are needed - for prayer. They are not home decoration or anything like that, because for orthodox house- also a temple, and prayer is common, that is, in the temple, and private, that is, at home. It is precisely in order to always have the opportunity to pray in private that they create home altars.
Only two icons belong to the minimum noted earlier: Christ and the Virgin. Although, if there is no such possibility, then even one of them is enough, because each of these options represents the whole essence of the Orthodox faith.
In general, the altar may look something like this (although you can limit yourself to only the main icons):
Some choose an additional set based on their own activities and preferences. For example, people who are associated with military professions or something similar prefer St. George the Victorious, and those who are involved in medicine revere Panteleimon the Healer.
As a rule, the space where the home iconostasis stands is called the red corner and is the most revered part of the house. For the Orthodox, the house is also a kind of temple, and the home iconostasis symbolizes the temple altar, where you want to place the most basic images for veneration. There is a small space on the eastern side of the house, it is also acceptable to be located in the southeast, since the houses are not always oriented exactly to the cardinal points.
The next aspect is how to arrange and hang the icons on the altar and in other parts of the home. If we are talking about a home iconostasis, then you need to consider the following:
- You can put images on a special shelf or take some separate part of the furniture for this business. But the space always needs to be somehow isolated: there is no need to place anything more than icons and other elements of religious worship.
- You need to place the icons approximately at eye level or higher, so that when praying it is convenient to stand in front of the images and nothing else is in sight.
- The iconostasis must always be kept clean, each image must be preserved in its proper form.
The importance of respect should be emphasized. The icon is kept clean, wiped in every possible way and revered not because of the value of the piece of wood itself (or other material), on which some set of spots is visible different color. Careful attitude to the icon emphasizes the high value of the depicted and transmitted meaning, like how a window is washed and kept in optimal condition so that the landscape behind it can be seen.
In addition to the iconostasis, it is difficult to say where icons should still be located in the house. The use of additional images is purely optional. The choice depends on the preferences and capabilities of the believer himself, but there are quite reasonably explainable limitations. Icons should not be hung:
- in the toilet and bathroom;
- in the kitchen right above the stove or where the image can become sooty;
- above the TV, in the sideboard and where the environment is purely mundane and associated with daily activities, entertainment or something similar.
The point is to show respect and be reasonable. Although the icon may be located in different parts at home, the worldly and the heavenly should not be confused. This attitude is quite reasonable for cultivating one's own faith.
When it comes to how to properly hang icons in an apartment, many initially pay attention to the hallway. Indeed, there is a tradition to hang opposite front door or protective images above it, but these images should not be considered exactly amulets. They are designed to, for example, do a short prayer before leaving the house, or once again remember the Lord:
To properly hang the icons in the house in the kitchen, you need to place them away from the stove and not stack them on top of each other. It would be quite correct to have the Last Supper, the Virgin and the Savior in the kitchen. They can also hang in the bedroom: if the spouses live in harmony and in accordance with the faith, there is nothing reprehensible in this.
In the rooms of children, it is customary to hang measured icons, a Guardian Angel and nominal saints. For a girl, the Unfading Color or the Triennial (although this image is not considered canonical), as well as female saints, may come in handy. For boys - male saints and great martyrs, such as George the Victorious.
Almost all Orthodox believers have icons at home - one, and more often several. But sometimes people find it difficult to choose home icons and do not know how to properly place them in an apartment. What does the church say about this?
What icons are needed
Archpriest Sergius Nikolaev in his work “Icons in Our House” says: “In the house of every Orthodox Christian there must be an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ and a Cross. This is the main icon for each of us. Also in the home iconostasis it is good to have an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and saints revered in the family - the patrons of those who live in the house, and those who often pray. You shouldn’t have too many icons; in your home iconostasis it’s better to have icons of those to whom you regularly pray.”
There may be several images of the Virgin - Vladimirskaya, Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, Pochaevskaya. The seven-shooter icon of the Mother of God can become a special charm at home, which is better to hang opposite the front door or above the entrance to the main room of the house. She will protect the family from trouble, and the house itself from people with bad intentions.
Most often, according to Father Sergiy Nikolaev, in the house you can find a triptych - the Savior, the Mother of God and Nicholas the Wonderworker. “Pious people usually have the image of their heavenly patron, whose name they bear,” says the archpriest. You can also get home an image of a saint who is close to you in spirit, whom you especially revere. At many homes there are images of St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim of Sarov, the righteous John of Kronstadt, the noble princes Alexander Nevsky, Daniel of Moscow and Dimitri Donskoy, the icon of the Trinity, the Presentation, the Annunciation, Baptism, the Intercession of the Mother of God.
Some believe that the more expensive and solid the icon looks, the more “effective” it is. But it's not. “Any consecrated image is a shrine,” says Sergiy Nikolaev. “And a paper lithograph, and reproduced by an icon painter, and an old family image, and a rarity acquired in an antique shop - all this is an icon.”
Where and how to post
In the old days, Russian huts had a “red” corner where icons were placed. Sergiy Nikolaev advises to allocate a separate corner or free space on the wall for icons. It is possible to place icons inside the iconostasis, although many prefer free-standing or hanging icons.
If there is no free space and it is a pity to disturb the existing interior, then icons can be placed on bookshelves, chests of drawers, low sideboards and even on the piano.
If we are talking about a bookcase or shelves, you should definitely pay attention to which books are next. If, for example, this is secular literature that does not go well with the sacred, it is better to remove these books or rearrange the icon. Another thing is if it is church literature. It is also not customary to keep some souvenirs and household decorations next to the icons. Do not put them next to the TV.
“It is customary to put an icon not directly on a shelf, but on a small beautiful napkin, or, as it is called, a shroud,” says Sergiy Nikolaev. - It can be decorated with embroidery, lace, frill.
There is a rule: nothing can be placed on top of the icons. Clocks, paintings, photographs and other decorative elements should be placed aside.
Sometimes icons and photographs of deceased relatives are placed next to the iconostasis. This is not allowed according to church canons.
In which room to hang icons
Although there are no special rules on this matter, it would be more appropriate to place the icons in the room where you sleep, because most often people pray in solitude and either in the morning after sleep, or at bedtime.
If the house has a children's room, then there must be icons in it. Any image, especially miraculous, will protect your child. In addition, children themselves often turn to "God" and ask him for something.
It also does not hurt to place icons in the common room, where the whole family gathers and where guests are received. Don't forget about the kitchen. After all, we also spend a lot of time here. Before each meal, it is advisable to say a prayer, referring to the icons: “... I wish that men would say prayers in every place, lifting up clean hands without anger and doubt” (1 Tim. 2, 8).
Candles or lamps in front of the icons can be lit as in church holidays, and during prayer before one way or another. You can turn to the icon and ask for your needs.
“I would like to wish you,” Father Sergius Nikolaev admonishes, “so that the holy icons often stay before your eyes, moving you to prayer and contemplation, lifting you above worldly fuss, calming passions and healing illnesses. Amen".
So that the family is bypassed by misfortune, folk wisdom says to always have a talisman in your home. Arguing about which icons must be in the house, it should be noted that as such there are no strict rules in this regard. First of all, it all depends on which Orthodox saints the believing family prefers. In addition, it is very important to know the correct location of the shrines and how exactly the sacred image should be kept.
What icons should be in every home?
- Living room. The main images are icons with the face of Jesus, as well as the Virgin. The clergy insist on keeping them in the living room, where it is important to create a kind of red corner. In other words, these icons should be placed in the place of the iconostasis. If we talk in more detail about which icon you need to have at home, then it is appropriate to mention the “Kazan” and “The Lord Almighty”. So, the image of the Lord should be located with right side, the Blessed Virgin Mary - on the left. It is important to remember that if there are only a few believers in the family, then it is advisable to move the aforementioned red corner to their rooms. In the case when this is not possible, it is recommended to purchase a double or triple folding icon. Her main feature is that it folds. Based on this, the icon is placed only for a period.
- Kitchen. Before any meal, prayer is always carried out. Here you can hang any icon. The main thing is that it should depict the face of the one to whom this thanksgiving is addressed. Often, these are images of the Holy Trinity, Mother of God or Christ the Savior. It is also important that the icon cannot be considered as an interior decoration, and therefore various figurines, flowers, calendars and others will be out of place.
- Hallway. Answering the question about what icons you should definitely have in the house, it is important to mention that in this room they are hung in the place where you can always stand and pray before leaving. Speaking more specifically about the names of shrines, then this is the Crucifixion or the Holy Trinity. Priests strongly advise those who do not know the prayer for the house to Nicholas of Serbia to attach it at the door. It is also recommended to acquire an icon of a saint, to whom each family member turns in moments of grief and joy. For example, it may be the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
- Office for work. In moments of searching for inspiration, a creative crisis, or when there are any problems at work, it is customary to turn to the patron saints of a particular profession. So, students can hang an icon of the martyr Tatyana or St. Sergius of Radonezh, and veterinarians can hang an icon with the face of the holy brothers Cosmas and Damian of Assia.
- Children's room. Above the baby's crib or cradle, often, nominal or measured icons are placed. The first type includes images of any format up to pocket size. As for the measured, it is made to order and has a height corresponding to the growth of the baby at the time of birth. Regarding the names, it is better to place the image of the Guardian Angel, the Blessed Virgin or Jesus in the nursery.
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In the old days, any person entering the house, first of all, stood facing the red corner where the home iconostasis was located, and was baptized into icons, because icons for the home of every Orthodox were an integral part of everyday life. They always prayed before them, getting up in the morning and going to bed. Note: before them, and not the icons themselves, because they only show us the image of the saint depicted on them.
Icons for the home and their meaning
Some believe that the icons that should be in every home , play the role of a kind of amulets or talismans, but this is a completely wrong approach.
It is not the icon that protects, but our prayer to the saint depicted on it
This is the meaning of icons. You can place as many icons as you like around the house, but if you do not pray in front of them, then they will remain just beautiful pictures.
Icons must be consecrated in the church, so it is best to purchase them in a church shop
If you accidentally come across an icon that you would like to put at home, but whose history is unknown to you, do not be too lazy to go to church and consecrate it, then prayer in front of it will have power.
What icons should be in the house
In the house of every Orthodox Christian there must be icons of the Savior and the Mother of God - this is the basis of the home iconostasis
Often, newlyweds receive such a double image as a wedding gift from their parents, who blessed them with these icons.
Each of us has heavenly patron, whose name we bear, and it is very desirable that they also take their place in the home iconostasis. Prayer in front of their images helps both in strengthening faith and in difficult times. life situations. There are many icons of revered saints who bore the same name, so before choosing an icon, try to find out the history of this saint.
Among the icons that should be in the house, it is worth including the icon of St. Panteleimon the Healer, who is prayed for in case of illness, and for health workers, he is considered the patron of their profession. In general, each profession has its own heavenly patron, and the Russian military personnel even have a separate one for each type of troops.
The feats of faith performed by saints are an integral part of Orthodox teaching, and if there is a saint whose story made a particularly strong impression on you, then his icon can also be placed in the home iconostasis.
How to place icons in the house
The value of an icon is not determined by its market value, so you should not strive to acquire rare or expensive icons in precious frames. Such an icon can be presented as a gift, but you should not buy it for yourself. And one more thing: by turning your home iconostasis into something like an icon-painting department of a museum, you run the risk of attracting thieves who are chasing expensive icons.
The best option for placing icons is a home iconostasis
In the old days, he occupied the eastern corner of the room, which was called red. Modern planning does not always allow observing traditions, but this is, in fact, the formal side of things, so the iconostasis can be arranged not necessarily in the corner, but anywhere against the wall and even on the shelf of a sideboard or bookcase. But at the same time, it is imperative to make sure that there are no photographs, posters, paintings and other secular decorative elements nearby. Also, photographs of living or dead people, whether they are relatives, priests or elders, cannot be placed on the iconostasis.
It is important to know not only what icons should be in the house, but also how to properly equip the iconostasis. It is probably unnecessary to remind you that it needs to be kept clean, not to allow the icons to gather dust. If the icons are placed on the shelves, then beautiful napkins or towels are usually laid under them, which will be especially valuable if you embroider them with your own hands.
Many decorate the iconostasis with bouquets of natural or artificial flowers. Church candles are also kept here. Holy water should be drunk on an empty stomach after prayer, so a vessel with holy water can also be kept near the iconostasis. It is very important that in the home iconostasis there is a lamp that is lit when they pray, as well as on Sundays and on the occasion of major Orthodox holidays.
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