QA #5 - How should I handle the blessed bread?

After receiving Holy Communion and at the end of the Divine Liturgy, it is customary to receive a piece of blessed bread (antidoron) - the bread that was left over after Holy Gifts were prepared.

While antidoron is not Holy Communion, it is blessed bread, and as such, it should be eaten carefully so that crumbs do not fall. Both adults and children should always remember to treat and consume the antidoron with respect.

The word “antidoron” means “in lieu of the Gift” and this practice was developed in early Byzantine times when weekly Communion was no longer the rule.