• Rosary beads have their own meanings.rosary image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  The rosary is a traditional Catholic praying tool, one used by generations of adherents to the religion. Each of the beads on the rosary calls for a different prayer or meditation. Those who pray the rosary daily say that repeating the various prayers provides a bit of calm in an often chaotic world.
  
  

The Crucifix

• When praying the rosary, start at the very bottom where the crucifix hangs. This, of course, represents the crucifixion---and later resurrection---of Jesus Christ. At this bead, Catholics recite the Apostle's Creed, an early statement of Christian belief.
  
  

Large Beads

• On each of the large beads of the rosary, Catholics recite the Our Father, a traditional prayer that affirms the belief in the Holy Trinity---the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Traditional rosaries contain five sets of 10 beads with a single large bead, calling for the recitation of the Our Father at the start of each of the small beads. These sets are known as decades.
  
  

Small Beads

• Each of the small beads of a rosary calls for the Hail Mary. This prayer, as its name suggests, is a prayer of devotion to Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. Traditional rosaries---those that come with a set of five decades---contain 53 small beads requiring the recitation of the Hail Mary prayer. This includes the three small beads connecting the crucifix to the rest of the rosary.