Temple floristry - the art of decorating the temple

Decorative and applied art develops in different directions. One of them is a temple floristic. For professionals working in this industry, it is important to combine professional skills and skills with spiritual efforts. It is not enough to simply pick up a list of flowers acceptable in the temple and learn the rules for keeping them fresh for a long time. This work should be done with prayer and love.

the main task

Church floristics sets a lot of tasks for themselves, but the main one is the harmony of the flower decor with architectural features, temple painting and carving. It is important to take into account that religious shrines are decorated not only with flowers, but also with rich salaries, numerous draperies, embroidered garments and fees.

It is necessary that the temple floristics emphasize the relationship of man and nature. It should reveal the beauty of the world created by the Creator, and lead to the idea that man is a part of this world.

Live material or artificial

There are no prohibitions on the decoration of churches with artificial flowers. If there is no possibility or means to use living plants, then bouquets and garlands can be composed of fabric or paper flowers. But still, preference should be given to the living, because one living flower is endowed with greater grace than an entire bunch of artificial ornaments.

What is used for making temple compositions

Temple floristics are not only bouquets in vases. Ornaments are made in the form of wreaths, garlands, living flowering walls and arches. As a basis, floristic oases are usually used. For weaving garlands, take green herbs, asparagus, thuja or spruce paws. Frames for garlands and arches are made of wire of different thickness and rigidity.

Types of flowers

Florists never use poisonous flowers and plants in their compositions with a strong intoxicating smell. This rule is strictly observed. They also refrain from prickly plants. When used in roses ornaments, they completely remove thorns. It is customary to refrain from using exotic species, such as protea and anthurium.

Temple floristics prefers roses, tulips, lisianthus, ammarilis, non-smelling lilies, daffodils, gerberas, ontogalum, dendrobium, irises, gladioli, gypsophila, chrysanthemums.

Flower compositions are often supplemented with berries of mountain ash or Kalina - both live and dried. A large number of branches of different trees are used.

What places in the temple are usually decorated with flowers

The Orthodox Church, unlike Protestant and Catholic, does not welcome too abundant and lush floral ornaments. Therefore, the flower decoration (temple floristics) is obliged to observe a balance between modesty and the need to express a festive mood. By tradition, flowers are adorned not only by the temple itself, but also by the territory around it.

Before starting work, always consult with the priest of the temple. He explains the preferences in the choice of material, color scheme and places for decoration. Floral decorations are placed around the most revered icons, decorate the cross, ceiling and wall lamps and candlesticks. In addition, do not forget about the shroud, doors and doorways, entrances and arches. Always paid attention to Cancer with holy relics, analoja and Tsar's gates.

Decoration of the church for holy holidays: Christmas

All holy holidays have established features, which are observed by church floristics. For Christmas holidays, for example, in the temples necessarily put a lush spruce. And in the design use a large number of spruce branches and small trees in flowerpots. It is permissible to replace young trees with cone-shaped flower compositions. Flowers in compositions of yellow or white. They should symbolize purity and create the atmosphere of a miracle. All festive decorations perform in a single style, creating a common composition of exterior and interior decoration.

Palm Sunday

This day is also actively involved in temple floristics. Palm Sunday is celebrated 7 days before Easter. It symbolizes the entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem. In the festive decoration, palm branches and fluffy willow are used. On this holiday, the willow branches are consecrated, and the parishioners take them home. Palm bouquets are not thrown away, but dried and preserved. Often in the water the twigs release roots, then the willow is planted in a convenient place.

Easter

On Easter, the temples are adorned especially carefully. Use curvy compositions in white or red and white colors. Often the bouquets are complemented by orange flowers. The florist must express in the bright decoration of the church a nationwide jubilation that filled the hearts of Christians.

Often on both sides of the Royal gates there are compositions in the form of an egg, which is the main symbol of the holiday. The entrance to the temple is decorated with a greeting "Christ is Risen!", Which is made up of living flowers fixed in a floral oasis.

Trinity

Traditionally, the Trinity in the decoration of the temples is dominated by green color. Green branches of birch, meadow grasses and wild flowers are used. The festive decoration of the temple looks lush and multicolored, creating a feeling of freshness.

Theotokos holidays

Decoration for all the feasts of the Virgin is maintained in white-blue-blue palette. This is due to the fact that the vestments of priests on this day consist of the same tones. The shroud is decorated with blue flowers, emphasizing the elevation and cordiality of the relationship to the Queen of Heaven. The flower of the Virgin Mary is considered to be a lily. Florists supplement compositions with white roses, gypsophila, chrysanthemums and freesia.

The conformity of the interior of the temple with the color scheme of vestments of clergy is one of the main rules of temple floristics. This is the first thing that newcomers are told about in this industry. Decoration also depends on the financial capabilities of the parishioners. Florists have to consider how much the temple can spend on decorating. In small churches, most of the green ornaments (branches of deciduous and coniferous trees) are gathered by the parishioners themselves.