Omens and superstitions about icons

• Omens about a fallen icon
• Giving icons as a gift signs and superstitions
• Different folk signs associated with icons

The icon with the face of a saint plays a very important role in the life of every religious believer. When praying, a Christian asks for recovery, protection, happiness, deliverance from life's difficulties in front of the holy image. Therefore, a believer has a special relationship with icons. For a long time there have been several signs associated with them.

Omens about dropping an icon in the house

For a believer, prayer in front of the icon means that his requests will be heard. Faith strengthens in the hope that the sick will recover, prosperity will improve, happiness and peace will be restored. Help from above will certainly appear, but sometimes this is manifested as a warning of impending adversity.

For centuries, people have believed that the icon’s fall is God's message. Therefore, a believer should carefully consider such a sign. Let's try to describe the signs explaining why the icon falls in the house.

The fallen icon is a warning from above for its owner. If you accidentally brushed off the image while cleaning or playing with children, you should not be afraid of misfortune.

You need to follow a number of correct actions and nothing terrible will happen:
• pick up the icon carefully;
• ask the saint for forgiveness for careless treatment;
• kiss the face on the icon;
• cross oneself;
• gently put the image in its place.

An icon that has fallen on its own is already a sign. Perhaps you have made some mistake recently and higher powers want to draw your attention to it. You might have to be careful in the future.

The fall of the shrine often symbolizes the coming misfortunes and illnesses of loved ones. Signs say that it is worth paying attention to the face of a saint from a fallen icon. If a shrine with a male image has fallen, this means trouble awaits the men in the house. And vice versa: if it was an icon with image of a woman, this means women should be careful. You should warn your loved ones to be vigilant; especially children. Old people warn that if there is a sick person in the house, one should expect trouble.

If the icon fell and broke, this is an omen that misfortune cannot be avoided. Breaking an icon is a very bad sign. What to expect from the broken image of the saint? There may be illness, financial difficulties ahead. When the canvas with the face of a saint breaks, trouble will come to the house.

Important! A broken icon cannot be thrown away. It must be carefully gathered and taken to the church.

One can pray for the cancellation of the bad omen. You need to go to church, find a similar image of a saint, light a candle and pray. Read the prayer "Our Father" (Lord’s Prayer). At home, in addition to daily prayer, it is worth starting a fast. Continue fasting until the end of the current fasting period. It is good if all family members support you and start fasting too.

Giving icons as a gift signs and superstitions

Is it of if someone gives you an icon as a gift? Our superstitious grandmothers in the old days bought images of saints for themselves, according to signs, an evil person can bring negativity into the house with an icon. We will find out whether it is all right to give icons as a gift, having familiarized ourselves with folk signs carefully.

It is believed that only the closest and dearest people can give one an icon. It is right if a father or mother blesses the image of his child. It is very good if the godfather wants to make such a gift to his godson/goddaughter.

It is customary to give icons as gifts for such occasions:
• you can give a personalized image of a saint for a birthday;
• the sick person is given a holy healer for healing;
• blessing the newlyweds for the wedding;
• to bring an icon as a housewarming gift;
• it is customary to give the faces of male saints (Jesus Christ, Nicholas the Pleasant, St. Panteleimon) to men;
• for women - the Most Holy Theotokos (Most Holy Mother Of God, the Blesses Virgin Mary), the Holy Great Martyrs.

If you received an embroidery with the face of a saint as a gift, be sure to ask if it was consecrated. The unconsecrated icon should be taken to the church and the rite should be performed.

Important! It is believed that you should not hang a presented or purchased icon on the wall on a nail or hook. You need to make a special shelf for them.

Other folk signs associated with icons

For hundreds of years, believers have treated icons carefully and correctly. The preserved rules and existing signs convey to us the necessary treatment of the faces of saints and teach us to perceive the signs given from above correctly.

What does finding an icon on the street mean? The sign about the accidental discovery of the icon on the street says that one should not pass by. It is possible that in your life there comes a period when you cannot do without its help. Such a find speaks of the support of higher powers. If you walk by, you will lose the protection of the shrine. Such an image is subject to mandatory consecration in the church. The rite of the priest will remove all negativity and evil, if they were present. After all, you do not know for what purposes it was used by the previous owner.

What to do if the icons got in the fire? According to popular beliefs, icons are the first to be carried out in case of fire. The faces of the saints saved from the fire will help extinguish the fire if you go around the burning house with them.

It is considered bad luck if the icon cracked simply from the heat in the summer. Old people say that this is a warning about the dead man in the house. Attention should be paid to all family members. A sin that needs to be prayed for hangs above one of them. Sincere and passionate prayers can save the household. Perhaps if all family members start fasting, the misfortune can be avoided.

Superstitions and signs do not allow men to be in a headdress near icons. They say that from such disrespect you can lose your memory. Everyone knows that men in a headdress are not allowed to be in the church. But superstitious male representatives prefer to take off their hats in any room, even if the faces of the saints are not visible at first glance.

Following folk signs and rules of respect for the images of saints, you can get away from many of life troubles. For showing respect and reverence for the shrines, you are granted happiness and prosperity for your entire family.