Easter is an essentially Christian celebration. The date marks the day on which Jesus Christ, three days after being crucified, he was resurrected. However, as time passed, some new Easter symbols began to redefine the meaning of this festival.
What could be just a lunch to exchange thanks, say prayers and enjoy a hearty meal, became, after the incorporation of pagan elements, a party to exchange chocolate Easter eggs or decorated chicken eggs.
One element that was incorporated into Easter is the fertility cult held by Celtic peoples. In the Northern Hemisphere, spring begins around Easter. In that moment, then, everything could blossom and be born. The goddess worshiped that day is After, the goddess of spring.
Perhaps you already knew about the relationship between Easter and fertility, because it is represented by one of the symbols of Easter. If you still don't know which symbol this is, check out the list below to find out what each Easter symbol represents for this celebration.
1) Easter eggs
Chicken eggs were part of the fertility rituals of the Celtic peoples, as they represent the way in which a being was born. Thus, the egg appears as one of the symbols of Easter because it represents the birth, or, for the Christian religion, the rebirth of Jesus Christ.
Chicken eggs were once decorated with paint and dye and exchanged between people, but now the chocolate egg has become popular. Less decorative than colored eggs, Easter eggs are a treat to savor.
2) Easter Bunnies
Another element that refers to fertility is the rabbit. Easter, after winter, in the Northern Hemisphere (where pagan people were located), marks the moment when rabbits go out in search of new suitors to mate.
With a gestation period that lasts a month, rabbits produce four to five pups. Because of this characteristic that allows for large-scale reproduction, rabbits are a symbol of fertility that also brings a childish element to the celebration.
3) lamb
The image of the lamb is present as one of the symbols of Easter for referring to the Christian religion. This animal represents the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for all mankind, assuming the sins committed by them, despite being innocent.
4) White robes
At Easter, it is common for people to wear white clothes for the celebration. In addition to representing the peace that the resurrection of Jesus Christ brought, the white robe symbolizes His victory over death. It is a color that can also be present in the table setting for meals, for example.
5) Empty tomb
As Easter is a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the image of an empty tomb is one of the symbols of Easter. It is through him that the idea is conveyed that the Son of God was resurrected after being crucified by the people for whom he sacrificed himself.
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6) Easter candle
At Easter Masses, it is common to see a lit candle burning on the altar. This is the paschal candle that, like the white robes and the empty tomb, represents the victory of life over death, bringing the light of the risen Jesus Christ.
7) fish
The fish, which is one of the meals during Easter, is also a symbol of this celebration. This animal represents the miracle of the multiplication of food and the renewal of each individual. As an aquatic animal, the fish refers to the process of baptism and purification of a person.
8) Easter Colomba
As in the Northern Hemisphere Easter takes place at the beginning of spring, the paschal colomba is one of the symbols of Easter. That's because in Italy it was common to eat bread stuffed with dehydrated fruits in celebration of this time of year, which represents flowering and germination.
9) Bread and wine
Bread and wine are two symbols of Easter that are present in other Christian celebrations. While the first represents the body of Christ, the second represents His blood. Both are a way of remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for each person.
10) Else
When a church bell tolls on Easter Sunday, the message conveyed through this symbol is that of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is as if the ringing bell indicates the moment when Jesus came back to life.
11) Sunflower
The sunflower is one of the symbols of Easter. This association occurs because the sunflower is a plant whose movement follows the sun. In this sense, the Sun must be understood as the power of Jesus Christ, and people must always be turned before Him.
