Anna Asks: “Is there Christian meaning to the Easter symbols?”
Early Christians looked at the connection eggs had to life and decided eggs could be a part of their celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Eggs and chicks symbolize new life. An egg also is a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged when he arose again. The chick, hatching out of the egg, symbolizes new life or re-birth. Of all Easter symbols, the lamb is probably the most strongly Christian. The lamb comes from the Jewish Passover, where each family killed a lamb as a sacrifice. When Christ became the Passover Lamb for everyone, the lamb became a symbol for His sacrifice. Candles, especially the large ornate Paschal Candle, symbolize Jesus, “the light of the world.” Throughout the years, painters and sculptors used lilies to symbolize purity and innocence, but the Easter lily is a fairly new addition to Easter celebrations. In the 1880s, Mrs. Thomas Sargent brought Bermuda lily bulbs back to Philadelphia. A local nurseryman, William Harris, saw the lilies and introduced them to the trade as they were easy to force into bloom in time for the Easter season. From there, the Bermuda lily, now the familiar Easter lily, spread throughout the country. They trumpet the good news of Jesus’ Resurrection! Each week, “Anna” asks great questions to help explain the faith, especially to our youngest parishioners.