Holidays are full of tradition and symbols. Easter especially has many traditions and symbols that have much more significance than at first glance.
The white Easter lily represents joy, hope, and life. The white blossoms represent the purity of Jesus and His resurrection. The tradition holds that the white lilies were found in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s agony. Today, white lilies are found in millions of homes and churches. What a beautiful remembrance of God’s infinite love and triumph over death!
The butterfly is one of the most significant symbols of the Easter season. Its whole life cycle is meant to symbolize the life of Jesus Christ. The first stage, as the caterpillar, represents Jesus’s life on Earth. The second stage begins with the cocoon which symbolizes the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The third and final stage is the butterfly which represents His rising from death in a glorified body and in peace.
The passion flower symbolizes Christ’s Passion and Cross including the scourging, crowning with thorns, three nails, and five wounds. The physical structure of this plant symbolizes the last days of Jesus, especially his crucifixion. The pointed tips of the leaves represent the Holy Lance. The tendrils represent the whips used in whipping Christ. The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles. St. Peter and Judas were left out. St. Peter is said to be left out because of his denial and Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. The flower’s filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns. The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents the Holy Grail or a hammer. The three stigmata represent the three nails and the five anthers below represent the five wounds. The blue and white colors of many species represent Heaven and purity.
So the next time you see any of these, it might bring to mind Our Lord and Savior and what He did for us.