How to read the Akathist correctly?

Initially, an akathist was called the Orthodox-church chant dedicated to the Mother of God - "Great Akathist". Today is the name of the whole genre. The reading of the akathist has its own reading rules, which should be observed.

Akathist consists of 25 stanzas, which includes 13 kontakion and 12 icicles. Kontakion presents a brief description of the feast or the significance of the feat of the saint. Ikos offers a full explanation of the essence of the holiday.

Is it possible to read the Akathist at home?

In principle, everyone can decide for themselves when to turn to the saints. The priests say that it is necessary to do this at the call of the heart or they can tell the novices to recommend reading. Many people are wondering whether it is possible to read the Akathist in Fasting or there are prohibitions on this matter. According to the existing information, it is not recommended on these days to read laudatory songs to the Saints.

There are several recommendations on how to correctly read an akathist:

  1. Since this genre is somewhat like a hymn, you have to read it standing. Of course, there are exceptions in this rule, these are people who do not have the opportunity to stand.
  2. It is best during the reading to be in front of the icon of the Holy One, to which the conversion occurs. If it's not there, you can look out the window.
  3. To begin with, you should say the intended prayer and only then go to the song. Ending is an appeal to the Guardian Angel.
  4. Many are interested in how many days to read an akathist and whether there is a certain order. Priests claim that each person can decide for himself how much to read an akathist, once a day or once a week. You can learn about the schedule in the temple, which indicates which Akathist you need to read on a certain day of the week.
  5. It is recommended that you first read about this by the Holy One in order to better understand the purpose of the akathist.
  6. Before you start singing it is recommended free your head of any thoughts.
  7. It is recommended to listen to the akathists in a record that can be found on Orthodox sites. Thanks to this you can understand when you need to stress and understand other subtleties of pronunciation.

The most popular Akathist of the Blessed Virgin Mary is read only once a year on Saturday the fifth week of Lent. Many women are wondering whether it is possible to read the akathist during the month. The priests claim that there are no prohibitions on this matter, and if there is a desire to address the Saints, then one can do it without fear.