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A home altar or family altar is a small shrine kept in the home of a Western Christian family. Home altars often contain a cross or crucifix, in addition to a Bible, a daily devotional, and prayer beads, among other religious articles specific to the individual's Christian denomination, for example, the Anglican Rosary for Episcopalians or an image of the Divine Mercy for Roman Catholics.
Description
Home altars usually are adorned with a couple of votive candles and they also sometimes have a small vase of flowers. In many Christian households, individual family members, or the family as a whole, gathers to pray at the home altar. Christian hymns may also be sung there. Family altars are also used to promote the "development or intensification of personal piety and godly conduct." One writer in The Christian Treasury traces the origin of the family altar to Abraham erecting one in the Old Testament (Genesis 12:7).