Holidays & Celebrations: Easter Symbols

Easter Eggs

When the time approaches for Easter celebration, the first thing that strikes our mind are Easter eggs. In the catalogue of Easter symbols, Easter eggs occupy the top most position. Eggs symbolize fertility. For many decades, there has been a trend of exchanging Easter eggs among friends and relatives. Easter egg decoration is the favourite fun activity of kids during Easter week. In fact every Easter, Easter egg-colouring competitions are held.
It is at Easter that ladies prepare yummy recipes and in this special menu, chocolate Easter eggs are always a must. During the Easter festivity, Easter eggs make a place for themselves everywhere, then be it Easter table decorations or Easter delicious recipes. These days Easter eggshell ornaments are very in. People embellish their houses with handmade painted Easter eggs.
In the ancient times, these Easter eggs were very brightly coloured, giving a warm welcome to the spring season. The colour of Easter eggs also has its own significance. For example a red Easter egg symbolizes the blood that Jesus Christ shed for the goodness of mankind. The green colour represents holiness. There is a social message attached to different coloured Easter eggs, which if followed, can take the life of man to the path of success.

Easter Bunny

When the spring season heads its way towards us, the first thought that strikes our mind is undoubtedly the Easter festivity. And when the talk is about Easter, it is definitely incomplete without the mention of Easter bunny and Easter eggs. Most of us are ignorant about the origin of the Easter bunny. Easter bunny is a symbol associated with fertility and the reason behind is that, it has a very quick speed of reproduction.
There are many legends associated with the history of Easter bunny. Some legends suggest that this grand festival Easter got its name from the Anglo- Saxon goddess called Eostre, who was always seen along with her pet bunny rabbit. It's astonishing to know that, it was the very bunny of this goddess that had laid the first coloured eggs. Easter bunny has become famous for starting the tradition of Easter egg hiding. Thus, the kids' favourite game of Easter egg hunt can be attributed to Easter bunnies.
Today, Easter bunny occupies the most dominant position amongst all symbols of Easter. In the contemporary times, Easter bunnies are found sailing smoothly virtually everywhere. The gift galleries are stocked with cute bunny rabbit stuff toys. Not only are they adorning homes, but have become the source of flourishing business for confectionary shops too. Chocolate bunny rabbit cookies and cakes sell like real hot cakes during the Easter spring season. This symbol of Pagan times, Easter bunny, symbolizes new life.

Easter Candles

To celebrate the resurrection of Lord Jesus, Easter candles are lighted in churches. These decorative candles for Easter symbolize Jesus' return to life. They are associated with new life. Among the Easter candles, the most famous one is the Paschal candle. These paschal candles comprise engravings of the cross and the Greek letters alpha and omega that signify that the Lord is omnipresent.
The beeswax, out of which the Easter candle is prepared, represents the purity of Jesus Christ, its wick signifies humanity and the flame is indicative of the Jesus' divine nature. These decorative Easter candles not only adorn the house but also have a social message attached to them. This explains the reason why beautifully decorated Easter candles are selling like real hot cakes in the market.
The trend of embellishing the house with homemade Easter candles is very in. They are inexpensive and enable you to tantalize your senses and come up with some creative ideas. Making candles at home is great fun. Easter bunny candles are among the kids' favorite crafts. So light the candles and let the light of Jesus come into your house.

Easter Cross

The Easter cross has a lot of significance for the Christian community. A cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, reminding us of the blood that Jesus shed in lieu of the sins committed by mankind. It is a sacred symbol that signifies faith. An empty Easter symbol cross, on the other hand, is indicative of the resurrection of Lord Jesus that represents the triumph of goodness over the evil spirit and life over death. Thus as a symbol of Easter, the cross is indicative of both crucifixion and resurrection. If, on one hand, it signifies sacrifice, then on the other hand, it is a symbol of new life.
Different kinds of crosses are famous among various Christian groups. For example among Catholics and Protestants, the Latin cross is in usage and Eastern Orthodox churches have adopted the Greek cross. Crosses of different lengths can be spotted but six to seven feet long looks real impressive. It is used for prayer purpose during the Lent season. But on Good Friday, the cross, usually a wooden one, is covered with black, a colour for mourning for the death of Jesus. Black on the cross is meant to remember the sacrifices of Jesus but before Easter Sunday, the draping in black is removed and the cross is decorated with flowers to honour Jesus' return to life. Thus, the Easter cross has a lot of significance for Christians.