Church Symbols

On the weekend of Easter those of faith Christian (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, the Baptists. ..) Famous crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the past, the Easter Sunday generally was reserved for the baptism of several catechumens. Also, the counsel of Lateran (1215) ordered that those that attained the reason age must take the Holy communion at least once a year (in French "does the s Easter").

If the Easter are the Christian celebration the most important one of the year.

In the languages of Romance, Easter or Pascua... is diverted from the "Pascha" of Greek word.

In the Germanic languages, "Easter" - called also "Pascha" - was taken of "Easter", the Saxon associated goddess in the spring. In fact, a lot of years there is, the Saxon ones celebrated the god of the Spring, "Eostre" called and the festivals held every year to celebrate the Equinoxe of Spring, when the day and the night were the length equals.

These festivals were celebrated to guarantee fertility through the earth and the people.

The Saxon ones converted to Christianity and the name of their celebration became "Easter" to celebrate the Spring and the times of religious Pascha. The idea behind the two occasions is different, but they the symbols and the common traditions of the actions that the people always use today.

Briefly explained, the Christian Easter arrive as follows: the first Sunday apreds the full moon that follows spring equinox (according to the Gregorian calendar). Except the Orthodox church that always refers to the Calendar of Julian (13 days behind the Gregorian calendar).

If the Easter are a movable vacation that oscillates between 22nd March and 25th April. As for Monday of Easter, the it is just a holidays and it has not the religious direction.

Since a lot of centuries, what's more people of traditions of religious Easter celebrates the season of Easter of party while organizing family gatherings, giving presents, sending cards of vows and a lot more.

The Easter, religious and popular have its symbols. Here some one:

The Bells of Easter

In some European countries, the bells of Easter have a big symbolic aspect. In the old times, the bells of our churches rang everyday year to invite people to attend the mass, celebrate a royal marriage, the birth of a prince, or for the other public event.

On Maundy Thursday, all the bells will stop the beep: they leave our country for Rome where the Saint Sits is localized and they will be blessed by the pope.

Since Jesus is dead Holy Friday and revived on Easter Sunday these days of silence are a symbol to carry the mourning and to remember. Therefore, the bells will ring again on Easter Sunday, returning Rome where they brought the eggs of Easter that they will fall in our gardens.

Besides the resurrection of Jesus, the bells of Easter symbolize also the renaissance of the Spring.

The Easter Push

The egg usage in the existed celebration since a long time our observation of modern day.

In fact, in Egypt and the old Persian, the people were used to tint eggs with the colors of the spring and gave them to their parents. The eggs were considered as the renaissance symbols.

The centuries there is, Christian mustered on the public places and looked for eggs: after the deprivations of Lend, Christian appreciated to eat these eggs. The it was the forerunner of our Easter pushes the hunt.

Another custom was that, at the end of the Mass of Easter, our kings distributed eggs (did ordinary in a luxurious equipment, paints, engraved. ..) to the noble one of their court. The eggs more famous are the eggs of Faberged. Thus the tradition of eggs of Easter is not commercial just but well an old tradition.

The Easter fizzle out

From are which the eggs coming? Chicken... then, as the chicken gives its eggs (decorated or not) the this is a symbol of essential Easter.

The Easter deflate the custom is popular in a lot of countries but originated of Austria. Today, it often is symbolized by a chicken does the chocolate.

Depend on the country, the Easter deflate replaced themselves by the chicks, the rooster, the stork, the cuckoo, etc.

The Rabbit of Easter

The first animal that was associated with Easter was not the rabbit but well the hare. The hare is an animal symbolizes the abundance, the proliferation and renewal. It was considered as an animal very prolifique, in the spring and was especially a symbol of life and of fertility. It can have its origins in an old eastern culture.

The rabbit was the symbol of Easter, the Saxon goddess. The rabbit idea as a part of tradition Christian was introduced in the days colonial by the Germans.

The hare and the rabbit were associated with the eggs of Easter for the first time in Alsace and to Germany six centuries there is.

In some countries, the Children are taught that the Rabbit of Easter brings pleasures on the night before Easter.

The eggs, the rabbits and the chocolate are linked up closely!

The lamb

In the New Testament, Jesus often is identified with the lamb, and especially the lamb of paschal, as there is an analogy between his death and that of the lamb of paschal - the lamb, is sacrificed in the religions of the west and east. By the blood of Jesus Christ, the people of God are relaxed death and can enter into a new life.

And then, in a lot of countries, the people eat a leg of lamb of lamb on Easter Sunday.

The Cross

The cross symbol was associated with Christianity and Easter since the first centuries after Jesus' the death. The cross was a symbol of Jesus, that is dead to save all those that receive the baptism, the it was also a symbol of cruelty through Worsens it Roman.

Today the Christians look at the cross as a symbol of courage and of good day.

In the countries Anglo-saxons, the people cook "the hot angry buns" (the buns marked with a cross) that they eat Holy Friday.

The lily

This flower; that is also a symbol of Easter, is a Japanese flower. The lily is the symbol of the arrival of the Spring, purity and the holiness. This flower is known for his beauty and his pride.

A legend says that to the time Jesus went to a place, all the flowers, the plants and the animals greeted his passage, except the lilies: they too were trusted.

But when the lilies saw Jesus on the cross, their head bent and since this day, they continue to bend their head as a respect sign.

The pleasant legend, is the this not?

The Easter Water

The this is an old custom that disappears...

Today unknown, the Easter water were an element of important Easter for our ancestors as it was estimated to have virtues very of the benevolent ones.

Of good morning, before it sunrise, the people went to the river and brought several gallons waters. The Easter water and a branch that the people received to the church on on Sundays before Easter Sunday was used the blesses the house and the protects against the inclemencies. The people drank also this water to heal diseases.

Now that you know the origins and the symbols of the vacation of Easter, I wish you a happy Easter!