6 Flowers That Are Linked With Faiths

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Flowers are most often used in religious ceremonies as decoration or as offerings. They sit around altars in impressive displays or are given to deities. When most people see the blossoms on the altar, they do not think much about why those specific types of flowers are used. For example, Christians are used to seeing lilies, especially white lilies, around Easter time, but most Christians do not dig any deeper into the reason that lilies are used instead of irises or any other white flower. Similarly, certain ceremonies involve red roses. Others involve white roses. Beyond making note of it, most people do not give much thought to the reasons for the difference in color. As with almost everything in religion, however, there are specific reasons that those flowers and colors were chosen to be used.

Every religion has its own set of symbols. Sometimes, there is overlap between religions, and an object or color will mean the same thing in each faith. White, for example, represents purity in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Other times, two religions will have vastly different interpretations of the same symbol. One such instance would be snakes. Hindus see snakes as representing divinity. Brahman sits upon a snake, and Shiva was sheltered by a many headed cobra when he was meditating. In Christianity, snakes are also a symbol, but they stand for cunning, evil and treachery. Flowers are also used in almost every religion with a wide variety of different meanings. People may not often think deeply about the flowers they see during worship, but there is a long history of various flowers and plants having specific associations in religions.

Lotuses

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It is unlikely that there is a plant anywhere that is more closely associated with religious meanings than the lotus. Hinduism and Buddhism are both heavily associated with the lotus. In fact, the flower often acts a symbol for both religions just as the crescent moon does for Islam.

In Buddhism, the lotus is associated with the most exalted and enlightened state of man. A person’s head would be held high, above the muck of existence, but their feet would be rooted in experience. The lotus also represents the path a person must travel to reach enlightenment. They are born into the suffering of the world, just as the lotus begins in the mud below the waters of a pond. Then, the person grows and eventually surpasses the needs of the world to bask in the light of enlightenment in the same way the lotus grows up through the water and opens in the light on the surface.

Hinduism is possibly tied even more closely to the lotus blossom. The very act of worship, puja, literally translates to “the flower act.” Flowers are used as offerings and associated with various deities, but the lotus is the most important. The lotus represents beauty, prosperity, fertility, eternity, purity and divinity. Like in Buddhism, lotus blossoms represent someone who has achieved enlightenment, but Hinduism has further associations with this flower. The crown chakra is called the “thousand petaled lotus,” and the lotus position is adopted by yogis wishing to reach the highest levels of consciousness. The goddess Lakshmi is almost always depicted standing or sitting on a lotus, and Vishnu is usually shown holding a lotus in at least one hand.

Roses

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Though they are more commonly associated with passion and romantic love today, roses in Christianity are used to represent a variety of different ideas. Roses sometimes are symbolic of the Virgin Mary, and the five petals of a rose are said to stand for the five wounds of Christ. The color of the rose also matters. Red roses represent martyrdom, Christ’s passion and blood and a love for God. White roses stand for purity. The bouquet of flowers a Christian bride carries in her wedding is meant to act as a token of fertility. Bouquets are a more modern take on an older custom which was to have brides wear a garland or wreath of flowers around their heads. The flowers would have dual meanings. The flowers represented fertility, but if the wreath was made of roses, it also was a symbol of heavenly joy.

Lilies

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Lilies are commonly used in Christian decorations around Easter. Lilies represent both Christ’s miraculous conception and His resurrection. The Easter Lily, a dark leafed plant with pure white flowers, often decorates altars around Easter. Legend has it that the first Easter Lilies sprung up in the Garden of Gethsemane from the places where Christ’s blood touched the ground when he was praying. The white petals of the lily represent Christ’s purity and life after death. The gold stamen, despite some Easter Lilies having dark stamens, is said to stand for Christ’s kingship, and the trumpet shape signifies Gabriel’s trumpet call to rebirth and new life.

Lilies also symbolize the Virgin Mary and Christ’s birth. The white petals signify her virginal state, and the golden stamens stand for her radiant soul. Legend has it that the lily used to be yellow, but when the Virgin Mary touched it, it turned white.

Orange Flowers

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Flowers do not tend to play a large role in the religion of Islam. They are sometimes used in funerals and weddings, in which case roses are usually the favored choice. The next most common choice at funerals is jasmine. Rose water is often sprinkled on new graves at the end of a funeral, and the scent of roses is often used in perfume. Just as in Christianity, white roses are used to represent purity and virtue.

Although there are not many symbolic flowers in Islam, orange trees are often planted in Islamic gardens that are specifically designed for meditation. The trees were chosen for their sweet smelling orange blossoms and because they had practical uses. The branches and leaves of orange trees would protect the person meditating from the harsh sun, and the tree would also provide food during the day to those who used or owned the meditation garden.

Poinsettias

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Poinsettias are associated in the West almost solely with Christmas. They are everywhere around the holiday. Unsurprisingly, this flower has quite a bit of symbolism. The star shape of the flowers is said to represent the Star of Bethlehem, and the red petals stand for Jesus’ blood. Legend has it that a young girl in Mexico was once sad that she could not afford a present to bring to the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. As she was walking along, an angel inspired her to pick a handful of weed flowers from the side of the road. She took them with her, and when she laid them in front of the nativity, the weeds turned into a red poinsettia bush. Given that the flower is associated with the celebration of Christ’s birth, it is ironic that the plant is actually poisonous. This is why houses with small children often do not display poinsettias. The bright red flowers and unusually textured petals might prove to be too tempting for curious youngsters to resist.

Olive Trees

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Though not a traditional flower, no list of religious plants would be complete without the olive tree. From ancient times until today, olive branches have long been a symbol of peace and victory throughout much of the world. The tree also holds special significance to each of the three Abrahamic religions. Muslims associate olive trees with Paradise, and it is said that Muhammad anointed himself with olive oil so often that his prayer shawl became saturated with it. In Christianity, some traditions hold that Jesus was crucified on a cross made of olive wood, and archaeologists have found crucifixion nails that had slivers of olive wood still attached. For Jews, olive trees represent peace, prosperity, beauty and God’s relationship with His people. Olive oil was used for many things in ancient Israel, from cooking to anointing kings, and olive branches still appear on the Israeli emblem today in honor of that history.