Never throw blessed items in the trash. That’s the short answer. Anything that’s been blessed, icons, holy water, palms, prayer ropes, liturgical books, has been set apart for God and deserves to be retired with respect, not tossed in a dumpster behind the Kroger.
The traditional Orthodox practice is to return blessed objects to the earth. Bury them. Burn them and bury the ashes. Pour holy water on the ground. The idea is simple: these things have been sanctified, so when they’re worn out or damaged beyond repair, we give them back to creation in a way that honors what they’ve been.
Different items get handled differently. Palm crosses from Palm Sunday should be burned and the ashes buried in the ground. If you can’t burn them safely (and let’s be honest, not everyone in Beaumont has a good place for that), you can bury them intact. Just find a spot in your yard or garden where they won’t get walked on or dug up by the dog. Some parishes collect old palms after Pascha and dispose of them properly, so you can always bring them back to church.
Holy water gets poured on the earth. Not down the sink. Not in the trash. Take it outside and pour it in your garden or on the ground somewhere respectful. If you need to clean out the bottle, rinse it and pour that rinse water outside too. We’re not being superstitious here, we’re just treating something blessed the way it deserves.
Icons are trickier because they’re more substantial and often more personal. If an icon is just worn or faded but still intact, you can keep it respectfully or store it. But if it’s damaged beyond repair, torn, water-stained from a hurricane, falling apart, then you’ve got options. Bury it. Or burn it in a clean fire and bury the ashes. But here’s the thing: talk to your priest first. Many priests will take old icons and dispose of them properly on behalf of parishioners. Fr. Thomas Hopko used to say that priests are there to handle the things that require pastoral judgment, and this is one of them.
Same goes for liturgical books, service books, and blessed vestments or textiles. Don’t throw them away. If they’re too damaged to use, consult your priest. He’ll either take them or tell you how to bury or burn them properly.
Blessed food is a pastoral question people don’t always think about until they’re staring at a week-old Pascha basket. If the food is still good, eat it or give it away. That’s the best option. If it’s spoiled, don’t throw it in the garbage. Bury it or, if it’s appropriate, feed it to animals. The point is to avoid treating it like ordinary trash. The one absolute exception is the Eucharist itself. If you ever have a particle of the Eucharist that needs disposal, say a crumb falls or something unusual happens, contact your priest immediately. The Body and Blood of Christ require unique treatment and should never, ever be discarded casually.
What you should never do: don’t toss blessed items in the trash. Don’t leave icons in a dumpster. Don’t use holy water bottles as Tupperware once they’re empty. Don’t burn palms on a garbage pile. And don’t use blessed objects for secular purposes once they’ve been set apart for prayer. It’s not about magic or superstition. It’s about consistency. If we believe these things have been blessed, sanctified by prayer and set apart for God, then we can’t treat them like they’re nothing once we’re done with them.
The practical advice from Antiochian priests and from Ancient Faith resources is always the same: when in doubt, ask your priest. Bring the items to church. Most parishes are used to helping people dispose of sacramentals properly, and your priest won’t think you’re being overly scrupulous for asking. He’d rather you ask than throw a blessed icon in the trash because you didn’t know what else to do.
This might feel unfamiliar if you’re coming from a Protestant background where blessed objects aren’t really part of the landscape. But Orthodox Christianity takes the material world seriously. We believe God sanctifies matter, water, oil, bread, wine, wood, paper, fabric. When something has been blessed, it’s been changed. Not in some magical way, but really set apart. So when it’s time to let go of it, we do that carefully.
If you’ve got old palms in a drawer, a cracked icon in the garage, or a bottle of holy water you’re not sure what to do with, don’t stress. Bring them to St. Michael’s and ask. We’ll help you take care of it the right way.
