In Pagan traditions, the Easter lily is associated with motherhood and is often gifted to mothers as a symbol of gratitude. Across many religions and beliefs, the white lilies are symbols of purity and grace. Whatever the Easter lily means to you, it’s important to know how to care for one in your home if you were gifted one this spring.
The answer is that The Easter lily is a relatively new tradition – first brought to the United States in 1882 from Bermuda. The large, pure-white blossoms remind Christians of the pure, new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus.
The lilies from Christ’s time were not the Easter lily that we know today (Lilium longiflorum), which is native to the southern islands of Japan and now cultivated in areas such as California and Oregon. The lilies in Jesus’ area were wild lilies of the valleys and fields.
The Easter lily is representative of Christ’s resurrection, it speaks of purity and innocence, being untainted by the world. The Easter lily also represents a new season, a new birth, such as when one comes to Christ. The Easter lily is not to be worshipped, however the lily can be used as a sign to represent new life.
Also known as Bermuda lilies, or Lilim longiflorum to the horticultural crowd, Easter lilies became the go-to flower for the spring holiday on American shores in the 20th century.
What do Easter flowers mean to the Catholic Church?
Irises are known as a sign of royalty and are often seen in paintings of Mary.
What does the lily symbolize in the Catholic Church?
The Lily: Symbol of the Annunciation. & the Resurrection. This year, when Easter falls early on March 27, so near the Feast of the Annunciation, it seems appropriate to look at the symbolism of the lily. For this flower is a symbol connected to both the Annunciation of Our Lady and Our Lord’s Resurrection.
What does the lily flower mean to Our Lady?
A symbol of Our Lady’s purity & innocence As early as the 7th century, the Ven. Bede (673-735) likened the Virgin Mary to a white lily, the white petals symbolizing her pure virginal body and the golden anthers the radiance of her soul. A symbolic pot of lilies between the Archangel & Our Lady.