Is it possible to give personalized icons and which ones are suitable by date of birth for men and women?

Giving gifts correctly is a real art. I want to surprise the hero of the occasion, bringing joy and leaving a piece of my soul.

Sometimes people, when choosing a gift, are at a loss as to what is appropriate and correct and what is not.

This is especially true for donating icons or other amulets; a person is at a loss about which ones are suitable for a man or a woman, which one to give as a gift and how to choose the right one.

The proposed article will discuss whether it is possible to give icons based on date of birth or whether only personalized ones should be presented, as well as the attitude of Orthodoxy towards such a gift.

How to choose the right icon as a gift

The icon as a gift will be appropriate for any event: birthday, christening, wedding. To ensure that the gift is to your liking and brings only peace and help to the home of its owner, follow these tips:

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  You can give personalized icons to relatives or colleagues for their birthday, with the face of a saint who is the patron and angel of the birthday person. The presence of such a shrine in the house will be a guarantee of protection from evil and negativity;

• An icon of the Mother of God and the Savior is suitable for a wedding gift; a seven-arrow icon is an ideal image for protecting the family hearth;
• For a child’s christening, choose an icon with a personal guardian angel depicted in full height.

Is it possible to give a personalized icon to a person and which saint?

When buying an image with the face of a saint as a gift, you need to anticipate the person’s reaction; if he is devout and resorts to the help of Higher powers, buy a body amulet in the form of a small icon.

It is more correct to give a personalized image that protects a person.

If at birth the baby was given a secular name that is not in the Orthodox calendar, Temple employees will help in choosing the right gift.

Who will select an icon of a saint with a name that is consonant or suitable in meaning with the one being sought (Yuri - George, Oksana - Ksenia, etc.). But most often, having named the desired name, the desired image is selected without any difficulty.

The list below lists the saints revered in Rus':

• Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker.
• Irina of Constantinople.
• Equal to the Apostles Princess Olga.
• Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.
• Ksenia Petersburgskaya.
• Matrona of Moscow.
• Elena of Constantinople.
• Valentina of Caesarea.
• Archangel Michael.
• Sergius of Radonezh.
• George the Victorious and others.

This is just a small list of the names of the patron saints who every second serve to protect people. Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to give icons, and how the church feels about this.

There is a popular belief that giving icons as a gift means causing trouble. The superstition comes from illiterate people who believe that damage or the evil eye is caused through a gift of a holy image.

But this belief is not based on anything. An image brought as a gift, consecrated in a church, does not carry negative information.

Another sign prohibits presenting homemade images made using embroidery or drawn. There is an opinion that it is inadmissible for the laity to perform icons.

On this score, church ministers are unanimous in their opinion: any holy face, made with love and consecrated in a church, is effective, and its use as an icon is allowed.

A holy amulet given with love and a pure heart will save a person from many misfortunes and help in difficult situations.

If a parental blessing is pronounced upon presentation, the gift is priceless. Do something nice for your loved ones, may the patron saint and patron be with you.

The sacrament of giving an icon

Numerous signs associated with the donation of an icon have ancient roots and are passed on from generation to generation. Rules that should be followed by the person donating the icon:

• You must buy an icon exclusively from the church; you cannot give an unilluminated icon as a gift;
• present the gift carefully so as not to damage or break the icon;
• first find out whether the person to whom the gift is intended is an Orthodox Christian. For a person who has an atheistic conviction and is far from religion, such a gift would be inappropriate;
• A gift such as an icon should be treated with all responsibility; it is not a souvenir or a collectible item.

An icon given from a pure heart will be charged with positive energy, so it must be given exclusively with good intentions.

Personalized icons

Most often, men are given personalized icons. They represent an image of the saint whose name the person was named at baptism. It is this saint who is his patron throughout his life. Such an icon can be given at any time and for almost any holiday; in Orthodoxy it is very significant. A personal icon can be of any size and design. This image will protect a person; every time he turns to his patron, he will receive the necessary help and support.

What icon should I give to a woman?

The custom of giving a woman an icon in different life situations has deep roots. From time immemorial, the best icon for women was an icon with the face of the Mother of God or the Great Martyrs taking care of women's health. Depending on your age and marital status, choose icons with the following meanings for a gift:

• For a young unmarried girl, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God or the Icon of Xenia of St. Petersburg would be better suited. A prayer addressed to these saints will help you get married successfully, get pregnant and preserve women’s health;
• for a woman with children, choose the icon of the Kazan Mother of God and the Vladimir icon. She protects the family and children from illness and adversity;
• for an elderly woman, the best gift would be the icon of the Mother of God Gerontissa, also called the “Elderwoman”. It will help maintain health and give vitality.

Due to their natural intuition, women treat such a gift with special trepidation and see a sacred meaning in it.

Which intercessor by date of birth for women

An icon is considered to be an image of a saint, to whom people turn with a request, gratitude, advice, etc.

The Orthodox Church considers such gifts appropriate and even useful and will gladly help you make the right choice in acquiring the face of the patron saint.

When choosing a gift for a woman, preference is given to the intercessor and patroness of the living - the Mother of God.

This saint receives appeals from believers with prayers for support and mercy. But how to choose from the many faces of the Mother of God just one?

The Holy Orthodox Church has compiled a calendar of saints, indicating the heavenly patrons who protect a person, depending on the time of his birth.

This book will help in choosing the necessary intercessor and patron.

The table shows the names of the faces of the Blessed Virgin Mary, taking into account the number of births:

If a gift is purchased for a woman who venerates the patron saints and visits a temple, before buying a holy image, you need to make sure that a friend does not have one, so as not to give an existing amulet.

Note! You should only buy images of saints in a church. Ordinary pictures, even if they depict the faces of saints, are not considered real icons until they are consecrated.

Is it possible to give icons - the opinion of the church

The clergy are unanimous on the issue of donating icons: this is not a painting or a souvenir, the attitude towards it should be appropriate. You can always ask the priest for advice in choosing a suitable icon for a gift. The approving opinion of the church regarding such gifts strengthens faith and religious culture in people. The priests insist that only a prayer from the heart addressed to the icon will have power and help. If a home is simply hung with icons, and its residents do not turn to the Lord, then you should not expect help.

If you have a desire to present an icon stored in your home as a gift to the church, this will also be received positively. Many churches accept such gifts from their parishioners with gratitude. The priests will pray for your health and the health of your family.

Icon of the Patron Saint in Affairs

There is an icon of the Patron Saint in business; you can turn to it for help in difficult work activities. It is customary for men to give this icon to support the Saints in difficult situations, because it is the man who is the breadwinner in the family. Different areas of activity have their own Patron Saints; there is no specific classification, but before purchasing such an icon, it is best to familiarize yourself with the information and find a saint whose activities are related to the activities of the man for whom the gift is intended. [box#1

What icon to give to a man

A beloved father, husband or colleague - each of them will be pleased to receive an icon as a gift. The idea that men are less religious is wrong. Men tend not to show their emotions, but they also often turn to saints in prayer. How to give an icon to a man so that it is truly useful and valuable to him? Events when such a gift would be appropriate:

• birthday or angel day will be a worthy occasion for gifting a personalized icon with the face of the saint whose name he bears. Such an icon has enormous power and is capable of protecting in different life situations;
• a colleague or boss will be pleased to receive as a gift an icon with the patron of his type of activity. The icon of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky is suitable for a businessman, the image of Panteleimon the Healer is suitable for a doctor, the image of the Archangel Michael is suitable for a military man, the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is suitable for men associated with the sea and fishing;
• if the man to whom you are going to give the icon already has a name and an assistant in business, then the best gift would be an icon of the Holy Guardian Angel or the Savior Not Made by Hands. These icons are endowed with unprecedented power and with the help of prayer to them you can find help in any life situation.

When deciding to give an icon, remember the main rule - only if given with love, it will bring peace and prosperity to its owner.

Patrons of men

Men, in modern society, are most often non-believers, and an icon purchased as a gift often goes unnoticed and misunderstood.

But if a representative of the stronger sex is engaged in a dangerous profession or is away from home for a long time, a face will suit him as a gift:

• Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron saint of sailors, truckers and travelers.
• Alexander Nevsky - defender of the military and servants of law and order.
• St. George the Victorious - for people engaged in agricultural work and the military.
• Panteleimon the Healer - for doctors.
• Spyridon of Trimifuntsky - given to businessmen.
• Cyril and Methodius - for teachers.
• Martyr Tryphon - guardian of hunters.
• Apostles Andrew and Peter - people involved in fishing.

The icon of Christ the Savior will be universal for everyone. You can give a triptych depicting Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas the Pleasant.

Why are people afraid to accept images of saints as gifts?

In Slavic lands there is a special type of witchcraft. Church paraphernalia has been used for it since ancient times: candles, faces of saints, blessed water, crosses, towels, etc. No matter how strange it may sound to the uninitiated, objects of Orthodox worship are widely used in conspiracies and rituals, although it would seem that such a practice contradicts the Christian canon.

In most cases, rituals are carried out for a good purpose: for treatment, removing the evil eye, returning a beloved husband to the family, etc. Disputes continue whether such actions can even be called witchcraft, especially if they are carried out not by a professional magician, but by the victims of witchcraft themselves. . However, knowing about the practice of using cult objects in witchcraft, people are afraid to accept as a gift anything related to religion.

Types of icons depicting the Great Martyr

It is much more convenient to pray to a saint when there is an iconographic image of him before your eyes. Ancient and modern icon painters depict the great martyr in various images. Among them:

• A warrior on horseback defeating the serpent.
• A foot warrior with a spear and/or sword in his hands.
• Martyr with a cross in his hands (full height).
• Martyr with a cross in his hands (chest-length image).
• The saint sits on a throne, and an angel places a crown on his head.

Which image to buy is up to you. The Holy Fathers did not give recommendations on this matter, so the choice depends solely on your preferences. Orthodox churches around the world contain shrines of various iconographic types, and they are all equally revered.

Do you want to purchase the icon of St. George the Victorious? Such thoughts indicate a desire to pray more often to a saint dear to his heart. Don’t put off your purchase for too long: order the image of the great martyr and pray to him at any time of the day!