Not a single home of an Orthodox family is complete without icons; they are a mediator between us and the saints. Prayer in front of an icon is stronger because we have a visual image of the person we are addressing, which greatly helps us concentrate. Icon painting has been known for more than a millennium, and during this time a huge number of icons have appeared, but they cannot exist in an anonymous state forever. If the image is badly damaged, we cannot read the face of the saint on it; of course, its owners may want to get rid of the icon. The only rule that you need to remember forever is that badges cannot be thrown away like regular garbage.
How to throw away your church calendar, flyers, postcards, old Bible?
If everything is clear with some church products, in particular with icons, then, for example, with printed materials, newspapers, leaflets, everything is not so clear. Many do not know what to do with all this product, because it can also contain imprinted images of saints or the Lord God.
Tips on how to throw away consecrated things
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- Indeed, church ministers regulate behavior with such printing. They advise not to throw it in the trash, and not to hand it over to recycling collection points. The fact is that this paper is processed into a variety of products. This can be books, notebooks, or toilet paper. Therefore, if you do not want images of saints to somehow end up in toilet paper, then naturally you should not recycle various printed products with images of saints. What do we have to do?
- The clergy advise collecting such products and recycling them. Choose a day and burn the collected printed publications somewhere in the planting or on your site. Many will ask, is it possible to bring such products to the temple?
- In general, yes, but mostly churches are recycling more serious items, such as old icons and Bibles. Therefore, there is no point in burdening churches with printing. If you are regularly given some kind of product, for example, for Easter with the image of the Face of Saints, then you also don’t dare throw away such leaflets. But in fact, it is better to ask your friends not to give you such cards.
- It is best to congratulate loved ones with words, if you live far from each other, this can be done using Skype. If it doesn’t work out, then congratulate using messages. Now there are a lot of messengers that allow you to congratulate people anywhere in the world. But if it is still possible to purchase a leaflet, try to do it without images of the Face of Saints and the Lord God. If these are Easter greetings, then it is best to give a card decorated with eggs or willow branches. Try not to purchase the rest, so that later there are no questions about where to put such leaflets, as well as postcards.
Church calendar
Is it possible and how to throw away icons, church candles, and stubs of church candles?
The clergy argue that everything connected with God and the saints should under no circumstances be thrown into the trash. In general, in any church there is a collection point for old things that must be brought there. Usually, all these old products that cannot be restored are of no value; they are simply burned in special ovens, and the ashes are buried in the garden as fertilizer.
Rules for throwing away consecrated items:
- In principle, you can do the same if you have some old icons. They do the same with old Bibles, various books, with religious content. They also need to be burned and the ashes buried in the garden.
- The situation is different with the remains of candles. The fact is that every church has a certain norm of leftovers, which it must hand over to the main receiver.
- Therefore, if you have any leftover wax from a burnt candle that you purchased at church, you can bring it to church. They can also be burned or melted down. By the way, this is what they do in churches. Everything that is not burned and remains after the liturgy or service is collected and melted down for the cheapest church candles. There's nothing wrong with that.
Icon
Is it possible to give icons: the opinion of the church
The Church allows you to give icons to your family and close friends
- People began giving icons as gifts in ancient times. At that time, shrines were very expensive as most were decorated with gold or silver. Therefore, such a gift was a fairly good investment. Most often, the image was placed in the “red corner”, and this was done so that visiting guests could see it.
- And although modern shrines can be made of wood and paper, in their beauty and spiritual content they are in no way inferior to ancient images. Therefore, in our time, people do not stop giving them to each other, and they do it with great joy. Moreover, absolutely all priests recommend the icon as a spiritual gift that can cleanse a person’s soul from bitterness and anger.
- In view of this, if you decide to give a loved one an Orthodox icon, then feel free to buy it and do not pay attention to any bad omens. The main thing is to give your gift with pure thoughts and best wishes.
Where to put the old cross?
Let's look at the options for where to put the old pectoral cross. Among the ideas, consider the following:
- to be melted down
- give to someone
- give to church
- store at home
- just throw it away.
People put unnecessary crosses somewhere in accordance with their beliefs and needs, which are sometimes not very true from the point of view of the Orthodox Church.
According to superstitions, ill-wishers can use a cross to bring powerful damage to the new owner. This is why many are afraid to pick up crosses found on the street. And in vain: a true Christian must save the shrine from desecration!
What to do with an old icon
Dilapidated, old icons should be taken to the temple. If the image has completely lost its appearance, it will be burned in a church oven. You can burn them yourself, but not together with the garbage, but separately, clean. An icon always remains an icon, no matter what deplorable state it is in. An icon that is slightly faded or has minor damage can also be taken to the church, perhaps one of the parishioners will take it.
Why is the deceased buried with his belongings?
In the minds of our pagan ancestors, objects accompanying the deceased could be useful to someone who had passed on to another world. In this way, archaeologists determine the occupation of the deceased. Near a spinner and a needlewoman a spindle is certainly found, near a fighter there is a military sword, and a blacksmith is accompanied by a heavy hammer.
Pagan traditions are condemned by church ministers. At the same time, they do not interfere with placing a favorite toy in a child’s coffin or a memorial lighter for a heavy smoker. The priests, however, insist on the symbolism of such investments and convince that keeping relics in the family will be more memorable. It is unlikely that inanimate objects will “resurrect” along with the deceased at the Second Coming.
Funeral arrangements
How to throw away a broom and salt?
The most interesting thing is that an ordinary broom can be classified as amulets, talismans, as well as shores. The fact is that there are a lot of signs and superstitions associated with this simple item for cleaning the house. It was with the help of a broom that our grandmothers protected their home from evil spirits, as well as the bad thoughts of strangers. Accordingly, you can’t just throw a broom into a landfill. Even if it has served its purpose, looks very unsightly, and is very bald, you still shouldn’t just throw it in the trash. The following rules must be adhered to.
Options for throwing things away:
Option 1
The icon was inherited, but we have no tradition of keeping them. What to do with them and is it possible to leave them in the house?
Antique experts do not recommend destroying images or storing them in premises that are rented or sold. Icons from the 17th to 20th centuries will be damaged if they are not properly cared for. Temperature changes, humidity, and insects will make the board unsuitable for use in a short period of time. It is highly not recommended to store the product on balconies, attics or in barns.
If the image is damaged
It’s sad when a family icon loses its original appearance and becomes unusable. Because the holy image has value for all relatives. After all, this is a memory of our ancestors. The next generation inherited the family heirloom and passed it on to their descendants. Unfortunately, time is not kind to even works of art. Maybe the image was written by an unskillful hand, but the value does not decrease because of this.
Types of damage to icons:
- Deep cracks are visible.
- The tree was damaged by a borer beetle or bark beetle.
- The paint is faded or cracked.
Such defects cannot be corrected on your own. Therefore, it is wise to ask a professional restorer for help. The restoration artist will try to save the image.
Is it possible to melt down a cross?
Let's consider the first option: is it possible to give consecrated crosses for melting down?
If you ask a question in church whether it is possible to melt a cross into another cross, they will answer positively. Let’s say the cross is broken or severely deformed - then the priest himself will probably recommend making a new symbol of faith from the precious metal. Additionally, he will recommend that the new product be consecrated in the church: when melted down, the spiritual essence of the shrine is lost.
But if you want to melt the cross into another decoration, questions may arise. Clergymen of the old formation do not recommend doing this. Most likely, you will be advised to give the cross to the church (in any condition) or give it to someone in need.
Silver cross
Technically, it is quite possible to melt a cross into another product, but you need to keep in mind that jewelers work exclusively with gold or platinum. They are unlikely to undertake the melting down of an inexpensive silver product, and if they suddenly do so, the price of this work will be prohibitively high. There is no need to talk about base metals.
Any alteration of the pectoral cross forces you to contact the church for re-consecration (fortunately, this is usually done free of charge). However, minor repairs (for example, soldering a broken ear) or professional cleaning do not qualify as alterations.
Is it possible to purchase from hand?
Icons depicting Orthodox saints are a kind of intermediaries in communication between man and God. They can be purchased at every church or monastery store. It’s another matter if a person is engaged in antiques or he was offered to buy an antique copy from his own hands.
In any case, after completing the transaction, the holy image should not be immediately taken to your home. It is best to take the purchased icon to the nearest church so that the priest can consecrate it. This is the only way to avoid negative consequences associated with someone else’s negative energy.
What if you just throw out the cross?
Some people wonder if it is possible to throw out crosses if they are not needed. This question will not even occur to a true Christian: even a simple aluminum cross with a broken ear remains a symbol of faith, filled with high spiritual content. Therefore, throwing away any consecrated crosses is sacrilege.
Some people recommend “burying” unnecessary crosses, that is, reverently burying them in the ground somewhere in uncrowded places, preferably under trees. However, the church does not encourage this method of disposal. Exception: deceased Christians are buried with crosses, but in this case the shrine is buried together with the owner.
So if the cross is no longer needed (you bought another one, it broke, it came to you from an unknown source, it was given as a gift, but you don’t want to wear it), go to church. There they will either accept the shrine as a gift or tell you how best to deal with it according to the Orthodox canon.
10.05.21
Is it possible to take other people's icons?
Typically, icons are not used as gifts. There are, of course, cases when a private individual donates a holy image to an Orthodox church or monastery. But in life there is always room for unexpected situations.
- For example, one of the relatives or acquaintances wanted to give or give the icon to a third party . From the point of view of Orthodoxy, there is nothing shameful in this event. In addition, such gifts are usually given by parents to their children.
- If a complete stranger wants to give or donate the icon , then the receiving party must decide for itself whether to accept or refuse. Such a gift looks unusual, if not strange.
- It is quite possible that a person who does not believe in God wants to get rid of the image. But even in this case, the sign warns: someone else’s thing in the house carries with it foreign energy. And it cannot always be positive: after all, no one will say for sure what prayers or requests to God were said before her.
Icons of the former owners of the house
Sometimes old wedding couples remain in houses, icons that are given to the newlyweds during the wedding sacrament, or icons of guardian angels of deceased relatives or old owners of the house. You can keep such images for yourself.
An icon is not a talisman; people pray to a saint in front of it, and therefore it doesn’t matter at all who previously owned the shrine and for what reason it appeared among the previous owners.
The wedding couple usually consists of the icon of Jesus Christ “Lord Pantocrator” and the Mother of God – “Kazan Mother of God”. These images of saints can move from couple to couple or even end up with a single person, this is acceptable.
Of course, a believer, when he moves to another house or apartment, will not leave his icons in the old place. But situations are different and even such that the icons remained and became the inheritance of the newly settled. There are three options on how to proceed:
- leave everything as it is, sprinkling the images with holy water;
- take the icons to the temple;
- distribute to those who need it.
And another option is to simply burn it.
In family houses, icons that belonged to deceased relatives are usually kept, which the young people do not want to leave behind. Again, new icons from your home can be taken to the temple or donated if the images have retained their appearance. Many people mistakenly believe that giving and accepting images from someone else’s hands is prohibited, but the church believes that giving them as a gift is a good tradition. The icon cannot harm you, since it is a sacred object. If you doubt its former owners, you can bring it to the temple and ask for it to be consecrated.
Important! We must always remember that everything on which there is an iconographic image or a cross or a mention of the name of God, saints and the Virgin Mary (in newspapers, books, brochures, leaflets) cannot simply be thrown into the trash, but must be burned separately from the garbage.
In families that adhere to the traditions of Orthodoxy, holy images are passed down from generation to generation. An icon left after the death of an ancestor can be inherited by one of the close relatives.
If a lonely elderly person who has no close relatives dies, then neighbors or friends can take the icons. From the point of view of the Christian faith, there is nothing unnatural in this situation.
Where should the icon be placed?
After placing the body in the coffin, it is the turn to distribute religious attributes. The aureole is placed on the coffin, a cross is placed around the neck, and the accompanying prayer written on a piece of paper is placed in the hands. Where should the icon be placed? It must be placed on the side so that after saying goodbye a person can kiss it.
Important! If a small icon is not available at a funeral, a large icon is used, which is held by one of the participants in the funeral procession or placed nearby on a music stand.
