Annie's Easter Symbols and Their Meanings Page

" --- So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon
or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
~Colossians 2:16-17~

Is Easter really about cute bunnies and colored eggs?
Is it a simple innocent holiday?
The TRUTH is so important!

Please realize that even Satan took twisted scripture that was out of context and
misinterpreted to justify his actions and thoughts. Many people will try to tell you that
the egg and other Easter symbols are Christian symbols. Please do not be deceived.

I gathered most of this information from my Encyclopedia programs. I believe that it is very important to know the history behind our holidays that we observe. We need to remember that as Christians we can share our faith with others through our holiday pages.

You will indeed find many pages on the Internet that tell you that a lot of these symbols are "Christian" in nature and can be twisted or Christian "ized" to make them easier to pallet or understand.

Please be wise and discerning when you read information anywhere on the Internet. "Prove all things, Hold fast that which is good". Don't just take my word for it check things out and pull out your Bible and check the Scripture references out for your selves.

Easter symbols:
First let me remind you that "Easter" in the name alone was through History connected to a Pagan Goddess.

Easton's Bible Dictionary defines Easter this way:
originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occurred at the time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word "passover" was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in Acts 12:4. In the Revised Version the proper word, "passover," is always used.

White means purity.
Easton's Bible Dictionary: "A symbol of purity (2 Chr. 5:12; Ps. 51:7; Isa. 1:18; Rev. 3:18; 7:14). Our Lord, at his transfiguration, appeared in raiment "white as the light" (Matt. 17:2, etc.)."

Green is new life but in our era is also known to mean money or jealousy.

The crucifix and the cross are present in churches and many homes throughout the year. A crucifix is a cross with an image of Jesus' body hanging from it. It symbolizes the sacrifice Jesus made by allowing Himself to be killed. An empty cross--that is, without the figure of Christ crucified--reminds Christians of Jesus' victory over death and the new life and hope this victory brings to believers.

The Cross is the most common symbol of Christianity. It represents the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Christians believe that Jesus' Crucifixion played a central role in redeeming humanity from its sins, and they regard the cross as a sign of redemption. Various groups of Christians have adopted different styles of crosses. Roman Catholics and Protestants chiefly use the Latin cross. This cross is a vertical post with a shorter horizontal crosspiece above the center. Many Eastern Orthodox Churches use the Greek cross, which has four arms of equal length.

During the first 300 years after Christ's death, Christians feared persecution by the hostile Roman government and rarely displayed the cross in public. In the 300's, the Romans began to tolerate Christianity, and crosses were widely displayed. During the early Middle Ages, Christian artists made crosses as symbols of the Christian belief in the Resurrection of Christ. Many of these crosses portrayed the risen Christ wearing priestly clothes and a royal crown. Later, Christians began to emphasize the sufferings of Jesus in crucifixes. A crucifix is a cross with an image of the dying Jesus.

Crosses have a number of uses in Christian worship. A cross on a staff is carried in many processions. During some ceremonies, members of the clergy or worshipers trace the shape of a cross with a hand or certain fingers. Cathedrals and many churches have floor plans based on the shape of the Latin cross.

Rooster: When I traveled in Europe for business, I noticed that the Churches didn't have crosses on the top of them, in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. So I asked the tour guide about it. She was very surprised that we didn't have "roosters" on our churches in the United States. When she started to explain it to me I finally understood. Here is what she told me: "We have the rooster because Peter was told by Jesus in the Gospels in the Bible, that he would deny Christ three times. So the rooster is to remind us not to deny Christ." The scriptural reference to this is Matthew 26:69-75

Sunday is an Easter symbol that is also observed the year-round. Christians traditionally worship on Sunday because that day is associated with the Resurrection.

Candles are burned during many Easter celebrations, especially the vigil and midnight services before Easter Sunday. Christians associate Jesus with the light from candles, calling Him "the Light of the World." Many churches extinguish candles on their altars on Good Friday to show that Jesus' light has gone out. In Roman Catholic churches, the special paschal candle is lit on Easter Sunday next to the main altar. The candle represents Jesus' return to life. The candle is often lit during the next 40 days, until it is put out on Ascension Day.

Easter Lilies are used to decorate churches and homes. The large, pure white blossoms remind Christians of the pure new life that comes to them through the Resurrection of Jesus.

LILY. The white lily stands for purity. Artists for centuries have pictured the angel Gabriel coming to the Virgin Mary with a spray of lilies in his hand, to announce that she is to be the mother of the Christ child. The lily is also the sign of the Resurrection. The lovely white Madonna lily was used for years as the Easter lily. It often failed to bloom in time for Easter, however, and so Bermuda lilies were substituted. They have six-part flowers (three petals and three sepals colored alike) and usually six stamens.

The Lily in the BIBLE: Lessons to trust are gathered from the Lily: Matthew 6: 28-30
Molded in the rim of the molten laver in the temple: 1 Kings 7:26 & 2 Chronicles 4:5
The principle capitals of the temple ornamented with carvings of lilies: 1 Kings 7:19,22,26
Used in a figurative sense, of the lips of the beloved: Song of Solomon 5:13

Eggs, which represent new life, have been a symbol of spring since ancient times. Christians adopted the egg as an Easter symbol because of the relationship between Easter and the renewal of life. But the Pagan connection here should not be dismissed. Ishtar was the goddess of fertility and reproduction.

Rabbits are associated with the fertility of spring because of their ability to produce many young. Some parents tell their children that the Easter Rabbit, or Easter Bunny, brings Easter eggs.

The lamb is a particularly important Easter symbol in central and eastern European countries. It represents Jesus and relates His death to that of the lamb sacrificed on the first Passover. Christians traditionally refer to Jesus as "the Lamb of God." Many people serve lamb as part of the Easter feast. In many homes, a lamb-shaped cake decorates the table. Many Eastern Orthodox Christians hang pictures of the Easter lamb in their homes.

Other foods. Besides lamb and eggs, certain other foods are associated with the Easter season. Pretzels, for example, were originally a Lenten food. Their twisted shape suggested arms crossed in prayer.

Hot Cross Buns: Hot cross buns, now eaten throughout the Easter season, were first baked in England to be served on Good Friday. The buns have a cross of icing on the top. Some people have suggested the connection to the ancient sacramental cakes.
Hot Cross Buns - This is from a site that is not professing Christianity. They are not a truly Christian tradition, even though there is a "x" or Cross on the bun. Here is what the site says: "They are generally only served during the Lenten season, preserving their Christian significance. Yet they are probably the outgrowth of the ancient pagan sacramental cakes eaten by Anglo-Saxons in honor of their goddess "Eastore.".

Easter customs
A number of popular customs are observed during the Easter season. The majority of Christians follows some of these customs. Others are observed in a particular area or by a particular group.

Carnivals provide opportunities for feasting and merrymaking before the solemn fast days of Lent. The word carnival comes from the Latin word carnelevarium, which means removal of meat. The most famous carnival is the Mardi Gras, celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. Mardi Gras is a French term that means Fat Tuesday. It refers to the fat ox that traditionally led a procession on Shrove Tuesday in France. Carnivals often feature parades in which people wear elaborate costumes. The best-known Mardi Gras parade in North America takes place in New Orleans.

Easter eggs. Exchanging and eating Easter eggs is a popular custom in many countries. In most cases, chicken eggs are used. The eggs are hard-boiled and dyed in various colors and patterns. Many countries have their own traditional patterns. Probably the most famous Easter eggs are those designed in Ukraine and Poland, where Christians decorate the eggs with complicated red, black, and white patterns.

In many countries, children hunt for Easter eggs hidden about the home. Children in the United Kingdom, Germany, and some other countries play a game in which eggs are rolled against one another or down a hill. The egg that stays uncracked the longest wins. Since 1878, children in Washington, D.C. have been invited to roll eggs on the White House lawn.

Passion Plays dramatize the Easter story. Such plays have been performed during the Easter season since the Middle Ages. The most famous one is usually presented every 10 years in Oberammergau, in southern Germany. It dates from 1634. In the United States, Passion Plays are performed annually in several cities. Visit: The Black Hills Passion Play Home Page

Feasting. Easter Sunday is a feast day. Many Christians in Eastern Europe and those of eastern European ancestry in North America have their Easter feast blessed by a priest. The priest may go to the home, or families may take their food to church for the blessing.

Wearing new clothes for Easter is a custom common among many Christians. It may have originated from the old practice of having newly baptized Christians wear new white clothes for the Easter celebration. Like many other Easter symbols, the new clothes represent the new life offered through the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Easter promenades of people in new clothes are a tradition in many European towns and villages. A person holding a cross or an Easter candle leads some of these promenades. In New York City, thousands of people stroll in the Easter Parade down Fifth Avenue to show off their new clothes following Easter services.

Other customs: Many communities follow customs of the Easter season that are special to them. In Bethlehem, Pa., for example, a trombone choir of the Moravian Church plays hymns throughout the city before dawn on Easter Sunday to call church members to a sunrise service in the old Moravian cemetery. At the cemetery, the trombones play a joyful chorus as the sun appears on the horizon.

Easter customs
A number of popular customs are observed during the Easter season. Most Christians follow some. Others are observed in a particular area or by a particular group.

Information on this page from the resources listed below:
~Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia & The World Book Encyclopedia~

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