Easter Symbols and Their Spiritual Meaning: Understanding the Paschal Symbols

The Christian celebration of Easter often feels like it has been so secularized and commercialized that the true meaning has been lost. What do eggs, chicks, lambs, and lilies have to do with Jesus’s resurrection anyway?

However, many of these symbols have a traditional, spiritual significance that can still offer insight into deeper mysteries of our faith.

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‍Lamb

The lamb is perhaps the most obvious of the Easter Symbol as we know Jesus is often referred to as the “Lamb of God” the sacrifice offered for our sins. It is often depicted with the flag of victory to represent Christ’s triumph over death.

For centuries, the main feature of the Pope's Easter dinner was roast lamb, a custom adopted by many Christian households. Today, even if lamb isn’t on the menu for your Easter meal, you might still include this significant image in the form of butter, pastry, or chocolate.

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Easter Egg

Since ancient times, people considered eggs as symbols of fertility–new life emerging from something seemingly dead. In the Christian interpretation, the egg symbolizes the tomb, death broken and made empty by Christ’s resurrection. 

For this reason baby chicks are also a common Easter symbol. 

In the Early Church (as they still do in the Orthodox Tradition), people fasted from eggs during Lent, making them a food people looked forward to eating come Eastertide and as well as a part of many different customs around the world. 

The tradition of coloring Easter eggs for instance dates back to the 13th century; at first people only dyed them red to symbolize Christ’s blood but now many different colors are often used. 

There is even a special Easter blessing associated with eggs–The Benedictio Ovorum! Since the 12th Century eggs were blessed and given as gifts during these celebrations. 

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Easter Lily

You might have noticed that your Church is adorned with lilies this time of year; flowers, particularly the Lily, hold significant spiritual meaning for Chirstians. The Lily is often seen in religious art to represent purity.

Easter Lilies has been nicknamed ‘the white-robed apostles of hope.' Along with its white color that represents Christ’s purity, the lily is shaped like a trumpet heralding the rebirth of Christ.  

The lily’s growth process can also represent the events of Holy Week. The bulbs planted underground symbolize Jesus' death while the blooming of the lilies represent his resurrection.

This springtime flower is often among the first to blossom, making them the perfect option for Easter decoration.

‍From all of us here at Pietra Fitness, we would like to wish you and your family a very happy and very blessed Easter Season. 

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HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

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