How to arrange icons on the home iconostasis

In the Orthodox tradition the icon is a Holy thing. Through sacred images of man focuses on the spiritual, turns in his prayer to the Board and paints, but of the individual depicted in the image. Every Orthodox Christian care to arrange in your home at least a small home iconostasis.

Where you can place icons in the house

Icon of the house should be placed in a specially designated place. There is a tradition to put the icons on the shelf of the East wall, however, if this is not possible, it is not necessary to arrange a home iconostasis on the Eastern side. Sometimes the icons are available in the so-called red corner. "Red" means "beautiful" - a reference to the fact that the place for the icons should be clean, neat and beautiful.

Sacred images can be placed in all living rooms. There is a pious tradition in the bedroom to place wedding images. If the family is large, then the icons in each living room and need for private prayer all family members.

Godly believers have the Holy images (or at least one small icon) located in the kitchen. This is due to the practice of prayers before and after eating food.

Holy icons cannot be placed on a shelf with books, with non-Christian content. It is undesirable to put them on TV or hanging with the secular paintings in one place for icons should be specifically designed for this Shrine.

Some believers put the icon over the entrance to the house. Often in this place you can see the image of the Holy virgin Hodegetria a guide, as an Orthodox believer before going outdoors, it is helpful to pray for help in all good undertakings. Sometimes over the entrance to the house features a cross.

How to arrange icons in the house

The basis of the location of icons on the home iconostasis is built on a hierarchy similar to the dispensation of the iconostasis in the temple. If the icon is located on the wall, at the head of the iconostasis should be the icon of the Holy Trinity or of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the right of this image can be the icon of the Mother of God, and to the left St. John the Baptist or a particularly revered Saint, like St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Below you can locate other images of angels, saints, prophets, Reverend, righteous. Crown the home iconostasis can be crucified.

Not to say that there are any specific instructions on the placement order of the icons in the home iconostasis (except that the icon of the Lord preferably Central).

If you prostanstvo, under the main icons of the Lord and of the virgin it is possible to arrange the Holy images of the twelve great Christian holidays. In the case when a home iconostasis consists of several dozens of icons, under the Central images, you can also have shrines with images of the Savior or the revered icon of the virgin and saints.

Sometimes the house icons located on one small shelf. Then in the center you can put icons of the Lord and the Theotokos, and on the edges of the positioning of the icon of the guardian angel and saints.