Candles - Stupid Question from Someone Who Ought to Know

_cizinec_ · Post by **_cizinec_** » Fri 11 June 2004 3:17 pm

When we come in to church we: make the sign of the croo, venerate some icons, go to the tetrapod and venerate the icons there and then go to light a candle for each of us and for various other intentions.

OKay.

What are the candle stands called?
Am I supposed to be putting the candles on the top or the bottom for different things?
Are the candle stands on the left side for something else?

I would tell you what my guesses to the answers of these questions, but I don't want to look TOO stupid.

I was Byzantine Catholic for about seven years, and they've really dropped the tradition.

尼古拉前执事 · Post by **尼古拉前执事** » Fri 11 June 2004 3:23 pm

Lampada stands
Not that I am aware of. filling the middle first makes it easier to not get burned.
Not exactly sure what you are saying here. Is there one on the right and one on the left or just one on the left?

Theodora Elizabeth · Post by **Theodora Elizabeth** » Fri 11 June 2004 3:55 pm

My Antiochian parish, which has only been in Orthodoxy for 11 years, doesn't even have the pretty brass lampada stands. We have a nice old low wooden table on which sits a large oval shallow terra cotta planter, filled with sands.

This is what I call "DIY." It would be nice to have on of the traditional stands, but our little terra cotta planter is charming, in its own way, and goes with our little church.

This is better than it used to be (before my time)...we actually have our own building (former Lutheran building). Before that we were in the basement of an apartment building, which one of the bishops affectionately called "the catacombs."

Theodora Elizabeth

_cizinec_ · Post by **_cizinec_** » Fri 11 June 2004 4:01 pm

There is a stand on the right and a stand on the left. I suppose it may just be for overflow. On a big holiday the stands get pretty full.

尼古拉前执事 · Post by **尼古拉前执事** » Fri 11 June 2004 4:16 pm

Usually there is one on the left for prayers of the Theotokos and one to the right for prayers to Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, while there is one in the middle for the Saint of the day or patron saint of the temple.

Tessa · Post by **Tessa** » Wed 23 June 2004 10:43 pm

Hey Cizinec,

Sorry I never got back to your pm about people Serb hating.

Anyways, you being in the Serb thing like me I will tell you what I know.
We have the circular brass stand on both right and left when you first enter the nave for prayers to the Saviour and Theotokos (Bogorodica) on the corresponding left and right doors. As far as I have been taught the candles with prayers for the living go in those upright holders while for the dead go in the sand in the big boxes or whever is lowest. Also on zadushnitse (soul saturdays) or commemoration of of one's repose if we don't go to church we light a candle on the floor, again for the dead. I don't know if that's right but that's how my family does it at least.

In Christ
Tessa