Icons are venerated but they are never worshipped. These acts of respect handed down from ancient cultural traditions still survive worldwide in the Orthodox Church. They also are donated to churches and monasteries as memorial gifts or acts of thanksgiving. Small icons were sometimes given by a father to a son going into military service and larger ones were often carried into battle on banners. Many old and even recently-made icons have been considered miraculous.
Some icons can be as tall as a human.
Others are small enough to fit into a palm. Authentic icons are those that are blessed and regarded as holy. The beauty or material worth of an icon is not considered in devotion. In the 20th century, a priest may even bless a photograph of an old icon and distribute it as a gift. Sometimes icons had metal covers, oklads made for them, either to protect them from human handling in devotions, to enhance their beauty or as memorials.