Easter Symbols

The Easter Egg

Eggs have been associated with Easter for many centuries and are the most identifiable symbol of Easter. The custom of giving eggs at Easter, now most commonly chocolate eggs, has its origins in many different cultures; however, all of them hold that the egg is a symbol of life. To Christians, the egg is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. To Egyptians, the egg was a sacred token of the renovation of mankind after the flood. Today, we retain this symbolism from our ancestors and incorporate the egg into our modern day Easter celebrations with Easter egg decorating, Easter egg hunts, and egg rolling.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter bunny was not always the pink or white bunny that hides chocolate eggs in your house. Long ago, he was called the Easter Hare. Some say he was a large, handsome bird that belonged to Eostre, the Pagan Goddess of dawn, fertility and new beginnings. She changed him into a rabbit, which explains why the Easter bunny now builds a nest and fills it with colored eggs.

The Easter Basket

The tradition of the Easter basket can be associated with an ancient ritual where a selection of the first crop of food picked from the first crop of the season would be carried in a basket to the temple. The basket of crop pickings would be blessed to ensure a good growing season. It is also a common Catholic practice for food from the Easter meal to be brought to church in a basket to be blessed by a priest.

The Easter Lily, the Cross, and the Lamb

The white lily is a symbol of Christ's resurrection, and that is why it is sometimes referred to as an Easter lily. Similarly, the cross is another Christian symbol often incorporated into Easter relating to the renewal of faith.

The lamb is symbolic of Jesus in the Christian religion and is also a symbol of new life in both the Christian and Jewish religions.