Concept in Definition ABC

The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, which are the remains of something. This term is used in two different contexts: religious and worldly.

The religious perspective

From a religious perspective, a relic is an item that is related to a saint. This item can be organic (a fragment bone or a skull) or an object that has had some personal link with a saint (his tunic, a piece of clothing or any other). Relics are revered by believers because they represent something sanctified and because of this reason they are jealously guarded like a great treasure.

In the tradition Christianity, the relics were placed in ancient times on the main altar of the church, so that the faithful could venerate them. In general, these elements belonged to a Christian martyr or a saint and his remains were used to remember his exemplary life as Christians. In this sense, touching or contemplating a relic is a symbolic way of contacting someone's holiness and, at the same time, it serves to gather and unite the faithful in relation to an element that has a religious message.

To the margin of the element symbolicChristian relics have another meaning, since in some cases believers attribute healing or miraculous properties to them.

On conclusion, the relic is an aspect that complements the faith and has a spiritual, but also historical and traditional sense.

The worldly perspective

A relic is also an object of great value. The reason why an item becomes an heirloom is not necessarily economic. Its value cultural or sentimental gives it a special significance.

In any case, for an object to be considered a relic it must have one characteristic: its exceptionality in some sense. Let's think about a car that is 100 years old and that only a few are alike in the whole world. In this case, we are talking about a relic and it is something that must be preserved for several reasons: it is a very rare piece, it has a evident historical sense and incorporates an emotional message (the melancholy of a past in which things had another meaning).

When we speak figuratively, we can refer to a person as if he were a relic, implying that that individual has a special value. This happens with some frequency when remembering the "old glories of the sport”, Retired athletes who have gone down in history and are lovingly compared to a relic.