Home altar

A home altar in a Methodist household, fixed on the eastern wall of the house
A homemade attached altar made from wood in a Traditional Catholic home. It combines devotional pictures and statues, as well as relics and candles.

A home altar or family altar is a shrine kept in the home of a Western Christian family used for Christian prayer and family worship. Home altars often contain a cross or crucifix, a copy of the Bible (especially a Family Bible), a breviary and/or other prayer book, a daily devotional, a headcovering (worn by many Christian women, especially during prayer and worship), icons of Jesus Christ and prayer beads, among other religious articles specific to the individual's Christian denomination, for example, the images of the saints for Catholics, the Small Catechism for Lutherans, and the Anglican prayer beads for Anglicans.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Nelson, Paul A. "Home Altars". Immanuel Lutheran Church. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  2. ^ Skrade, Kristofer (2006). The Lutheran Handbook on Marriage. Augsburg Books. p. 84. ISBN 9780806652948. Some Lutherans designate a special place in the home where they can focus during personal devotions. This space could include a Bible, candles, and small colored paraments or hangings that change according to the seasons of the church calendar.
  3. ^ Hahn, Kimberly; Hasson, Mary (1996). Catholic Education. Ignatius Press. p. 312. ISBN 9780898705669. One thing some families do is make a family altar with pictures of Jesus, candles, a crucifix, and other religious articles. This family altar reminds the family of the importance of prayer.