Flowers Associated With Christ & Their Meanings

Flowers Associated With Christ & Their Meanings

Throughout history, certain flowers have been used in religious artwork to express abstract ideas and thoughts. Oftentimes, these flowers are used to serve as a reminder of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. In addition, several aspects of various flowers, such as color and shape, are used to represent Christ's love and purity.

1 White Lily

The white lily, also known as the Easter lily, is considered to be a representation of Christ's purity and divinity. This flower is displayed in many churches and in homes of Christians during Easter holiday, because it is believed that white lilies appeared where drops of blood fell from Christ's body after the crucifixion. The white lily also serves as a symbol of Christ's resurrection, because it rises from a single bulb, which represents Christ rising from the tomb.

2 Passion Flower

The passion flower is associated with Christ, because several parts of this flower represent different aspects of the crucifixion. For example, the spiraled tendrils in the center of the flower symbolize the lash marks Christ received while being whipped prior to the crucifixion. The central flower column is a symbol of the whip that was used to lash Christ, and the 72 radial filaments represent the crown of thorns. Also, the top three stigmas of the flower symbolize the three nails used during the crucifixion, and the lower five anthers symbolize the five wounds that resulted from the nails.

3 Daffodil

A daffodil flower represents eternal life in Christianity. One reason for this is that daffodils are perennial flowers, so they appear year after year. In addition, daffodils are one of the first flowers to appear in spring, which is representative of rebirth, a process that some Christians believe happens during the afterlife. There is also a belief that daffodils bloomed once Christ rose from the tomb, so this flower serves as a reminder of the resurrection.

4 Rose

A rose has symbolic meanings in many religions, including Christianity and Catholicism. For Catholics, the rose serves as a symbol of the rosary, which Catholics use during prayer and also to commemorate several important events in Christ's life. In Christianity, the five petals of the rose symbolize all five of Christ’s wounds from the crucifixion. The color of a rose also holds symbolic meaning. Typically, a white rose represents Christ’s purity and a red rose represents Christ’s sacrificial blood. When a white and red rose are placed together, the arrangement represents Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Michelle Lee has been writing on the topics of culture and society since 2010. She has published articles in scholarly journals, such as "Social Problems" and the "Journal of Sociology," and also written articles for web-based companies. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in ethnic, gender and labor studies from the University of Washington.

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