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Bookmarks
12 itemsEmbroidered bookmarks — zakladki in Slavic usage, seleides in Greek — are a quiet but essential part of an Orthodox priest's working library. A set of three or four marks the Gospel readings, the Epistle, the prayers of the Hours, and the Anaphora. Ours are made in the same brocade as our vestments, with hand-embroidered crosses, monograms, or miniature icons at the tab end and metallic-thread tassels.
A set of bookmarks is one of the most popular gifts at an ordination, name-day, or anniversary of ordination. They are inexpensive enough to commission as a parish present, durable enough to serve a priest for decades, and made personal by the choice of colour, icon, or embroidered inscription.
How bookmarks are used in Orthodox liturgical practice
The Gospel book on the altar, the Apostolos (Book of Epistles), the Liturgicon (the priest's service book), the Horologion (book of Hours), and the Menaion (monthly readings) — every book a priest uses at the altar needs to open instantly to the right place. Three or four bookmarks in each book do this work: one for the day's Gospel, one for the Epistle, one for the Anaphora, sometimes one for the day's Trisagion or troparia.
In Slavic practice, the colours are chosen to match the liturgical season — gold for ordinary Sundays, red for martyrs, purple for Lent — so that opening a book is a small visual act of confessing the day. In Greek practice the colours tend to be more uniform (often deep red or burgundy throughout), with embroidered initials or monograms making each bookmark recognisable.
What makes a good liturgical bookmark
A bookmark for a Gospel book or service book needs to do three things well:
- Stay where it's placed. The brocade tab and the embroidered counterweight should be heavy enough that the ribbon doesn't slip when the book is closed and re-opened, but not so heavy that it pulls the pages.
- Lie flat in a closed book. Cheap printed ribbon bookmarks bulk up at the spine and damage the binding over years of use. A proper liturgical bookmark uses a flat woven ribbon (silk or polyester) so the book closes cleanly.
- Survive constant handling. Embroidery should be done with metallic thread on a stable backing — never glued or printed — so the bookmark wears in rather than wearing out. Our bookmarks are used daily for decades.
What we offer
- Single bookmarks — one ribbon with an embroidered brocade tab and tassel. Most ordered as gifts.
- Sets of three or four — bound together at one end by a small brocade head, so they emerge from the top of the Gospel book as a unified bouquet. The traditional form for a Gospel-book set.
- Custom inscriptions — a priest's monogram (his initial in Slavonic or Greek), the date of ordination, or the name of the patronal feast, embroidered on the tab.
- Multiple colours — many sets ordered include four bookmarks in the four main liturgical colours (gold, red, white, purple) so a single book serves all seasons.
Sizing and ribbon length
Standard ribbon length is 30 cm (12″) — long enough to extend below the bottom of a standard Gospel book by 5–8 cm. For larger altar Gospels (the heavy bound editions found on Greek and Russian high altars), we extend to 38–42 cm on request. The brocade tab at the top is typically 5×10 cm with a small tassel of metallic thread.
As an ordination or anniversary gift
A set of bookmarks is one of the most thoughtful and lasting gifts at an ordination, a name-day, or a 10th or 25th anniversary of priestly service. The set can be embroidered with the priest's monogram and the date, and the colours chosen to match his existing vestment sets. Order 6–8 weeks ahead of the celebration to allow for hand-embroidery.
Frequently asked about bookmarks
How many bookmarks does a priest typically need?
Most service books are used with three or four bookmarks at a time: one for the Gospel of the day, one for the Epistle, one for the Anaphora, and sometimes a fourth for daily prayers or the troparion. A priest with several service books (Liturgicon, Apostolos, Horologion) often keeps separate sets for each book.
What colour bookmark should I choose?
If you're ordering for daily use, gold is the most versatile — it's appropriate for most Sundays of the year. For a more complete set, four bookmarks in gold, red, white, and purple cover the four main liturgical seasons (ordinary time, martyrs and Holy Week, Pascha and white feasts, and Great Lent).
Can you embroider a priest's monogram or initial on the bookmark?
Yes — we frequently embroider a single letter (the priest's first initial in Slavonic, Greek, or Latin) on the brocade tab, or a small icon of his patron saint. We can also add a date (e.g. an ordination date or anniversary). Custom monograms add about a week to production time.
How long are your bookmarks?
Standard ribbon length is 30 cm (12 inches), suitable for a typical Gospel book or Liturgicon. For larger altar Gospels — the heavy bound editions in Greek and Russian altars — we extend to 38–42 cm. Please tell us the page-height of the book the bookmarks will live in when you order.
Are these suitable as ordination gifts?
A set of embroidered bookmarks is one of the most traditional and well-received ordination gifts. They are personal (especially with the priest's monogram), useful from his very first Liturgy, and last decades. We recommend ordering 6–8 weeks ahead of an ordination, longer for fully embroidered icon tabs.
How do I clean a bookmark if it gets stained?
Spot-clean fresh stains with a damp white cloth. For deeper cleaning, dry-clean — but most bookmarks last decades without ever needing cleaning, because they live inside closed books. The brocade tab and embroidery can be gently brushed if dust accumulates.
Do you ship single bookmarks internationally?
Yes. Bookmarks ship by USPS First-Class International from our Florida atelier — typically 7–14 business days to Europe, longer to Australia and Asia. Because they are small and light, shipping is inexpensive. We include each bookmark in a small cardstock envelope suitable for gift-wrapping.
