The Icon Corner April 2002 Issue

Every Orthodox home has an Icon Corner, which is sometimes referred to as the Beautiful Corner. It should be in the east corner of the main room, if possible. Otherwise, it is usually in the corner which can be seen when someone first enters the home. When entering the home, the icon corner is faced and a sign of the cross is made. Hanging in the corner are icons of Christ and the Mother of God. These are usually the icons which were at the marriage service. Also found here are icons of the saints of the family members and blessed is the family which has an heirloom icon which has been handed down in the family and has had prayers of joy and sorrows prayed before it. Other icons can also be found here. The corner often contains a lectern, a shelf or a small table. On these can be placed the prayer books, Bible, a small incense burner, a vial of Holy Water, and blessed items like flowers, willows, etc. Sometimes, the icons are adorned or the shelf or table are adorned with beautifully embroidered cloths. These covers are also handed down in families. There is either a hanging lamp or votive lamp which is lighted when the family gathers for their daily prayers. Some families also have a perpetual light, which, for safety sake, is a small bulb placed into a red votive glass. It was at the Icon Corner that many of the older generation learned their daily prayers. They learned them by hearing them repeated over and over again, each day, by the father of the family.