How to hang icons?

Back in the days of Ancient Rus, every Orthodoxthe house was filled with icons. In our time, the presence of an icon, for the most part, is a tribute to modern fashion, but every true Orthodox Christian considers an icon to be one of the main components of faith. Let's figure out how to hang icons in your house, and what rules must be observed.

For a long time, for the icon chosen honorable anda prominent place, the most beautiful - the "red" (Old Russian value) corner. Often such a place was the furthest corner of a room or room, which was located diagonally from the entrance door. And today such a choice for the shrine is very relevant. Also choosing a place under the Red corner, you can orient to the East. But this does not mean that you need to search this direction to a millimeter and a degree. Focus just on the rising sun.

Home altar

In order to understand how to properly hangicons, you need to determine the area of ​​housing. If you live in a large private house or in an apartment there are several rooms, then in one of them it is perfectly permissible to equip a family altar. It should include most of the existing icons, as well as the main family shrines (if any) that have inherited from your ancestors. It is here that you can find solitude, pray by yourself or the whole family, and also bless children on a long journey or on marriage. And in other rooms you can put no more than one image. In the children's room, the icon should be placed in such a way that it can be seen from the cot.

Any shrine should be allocated to domestic andordinary things. That is why, for icons there should be a separate place. In no case is it inadmissible to arrange holy faces among books and dishes. About to put the icon on the TV (in view of the fact that very obscene and impious scenes are often broadcast on it) there can not be any speech, because such an arrangement is simply blasphemous. Yes, in those cases when it is not possible to create a direct altar, it is possible to put only the icon of the Savior, but having selected for it the sacred is a separate place. If you have any doubts as to which corner the icon will be in the place of honor and whether it is right, you can use our article - "In which corner of the icon?".

Location of icons

Before you hang icons in a house or apartment,you need to remove all posters and pictures. It should be noted that photographs of monks or priests, and even pictures bearing biblical stories, are still inappropriate near the shrine. If your family prays before eating, you need to hang the icon in the dining room or in the kitchen. The icon can also be placed in the bedroom and at the head of the bed to offer prayers at bedtime or after awakening.

If you intend to hang a large number ofholy images, then in this case it is necessary to remember about their hierarchical mandatory sequence. More important icons should be hung above others, and in the center of the home iconostasis should be placed the image of the Savior. If you want to see with your own eyes how and where icons hang, you can pay attention to their location while visiting the church or temple or ask the priest to help you in this matter.