The icon is a painting on a canvas, tree or stone with the image of a saint, most often Jesus Christ or Our Lady, and there are icons of angels or other events relevant to church history and Scripture. Icons are present in all Christian shrines, where they are placed on iconostasis and walls.
Icons have their greatest use and significance among Orthodox Christians, that is, most commonly found in Orthodox temples, however, many believers have icons in the house. Most often they are celebrity icons - that is, an icon of a saint celebrated as baptismal glory in the home.
In addition to the iconic icon in the homes, the most commonly held icons are the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also the icon of Jesus Christ, as the two most significant figures in the Christian tradition. Icons can be obtained at any church or monastery, but there is also the option of custom-made icons for those who want to decorate their homes with unique icons.
There is no exact information as to when the first icons of the saints were created, but it is known that the earliest occurrences of Christianity did not follow the artistic performances. Thus, the first paintings of the saints were preserved only from the 3rd century, but they provoked great debate in church circles.
Specifically, there was a fear that the representation of God and saints would not be identified with pagan idols. This prompted many church leaders to oppose any portrayal of Christian history in any form of art.
During the 8th century, there was a great debate about whether or not icons should be respected at all. This struggle, known in the history of the church as iconoclasm, ended with the order of the Seventh Ecumenical Council that the icons of saints must be obeyed.
Icons have become very significant to the population throughout the Christian world. They were worn on the front lines when going to war, they were brought into the courts, but also into homes and monasteries, churches and cathedrals. The icon is not a decoration but a visual communication of an invisible divine reality, which manifests itself in time and space.
Icons are not respected on a material basis. Respect goes to the painted personality, not the material the icon is made of. The icons are made of various materials, most commonly ivory, enamel, mosaic, marble, silver and gold.
Icons are often painted with colors on a wooden background, so there are numerous icons on wood, icons in woodcarving, and lately, when it comes to icons, oil on canvas has been most commonly used as a method of painting these religious objects.
Parascheva icon was painted by my mom. She's talented, isn't she? She painted it with eggplant. She painted it for 3 days, but with a lot of work and effort, she managed. My mom painted more icons, but we kept this one. She is not a painter, but this was her hobby. Not many icons painted, one I know she gave to her brother, my uncle. And for the rest, I don't know.
