Blessing a new home

The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High
and stays overnight in the shadow of the Almighty One, says like this:
“You, O Lord, are my fortress and refuge.
My God, I put my trust in you.”
The Lord is your refuge,
your home is protected by the Most High.
(Psalm 91:1-2,9, translated from Finnish)

The blessing of a new home is a moment of prayer, singing and Bible reading with family and friends.  A pastor may be asked to lead the rite, but it can also be led by some other church worker or any Christian.  If you have just settled in Finland, this may be the first festive occasion with friends in your new home.

The building does not have to be new; a blessing of a new home can be conducted after a family has renovated its old home or has moved into a new address.  An entire family does not have to live in a home; the home of a single person can also be blessed.

A blessing of a new home can be linked together with a housewarming party or a baptism that is performed at home.  A home can also be blessed after a family member has been baptized in a church.  In multicultural families a blessing of a home can be done in more than one language.

Instructions for blessing a new home (Kodin siunaaminen in Finnish) can be found in many new editions of church hymnals and family Bibles.  They can also be found in the Internet.

Bilingual Finnish-English instructions
Swedish texts  are in a long PDF file on pages 252-261.