Christianity comes with its symbols, rituals and long-established traditions. It has a number of very important symbols that carry important meaning to all believers. Naturally, some symbols are more popular than others.

A number of images have remained relevant solely to early Christianity. As time passed, these symbols lost their importance and have maintained solely their historic rather than spiritual value.

The most important Christian religious symbols have their intriguing stories and origins. Read on if you want to find out more about these images and how they originated.

The Cross and the Crucifix

The cross was used since ancient times - it symbolized the four directions of the world.

Various cults and religions used the cross as a religious symbol. In Christianity, the cross is a symbol of immortality and resurrection. Initially, the symbol had little to do with the crucifixion of Jesus. The cross is a very old symbol that was used by Egyptians and other ancient civilizations.

Symbols of the cross, connected to Jesus Christ started appearing for the first time between the 4th and 8th centuries. The cross that we all know and recognize well is the one that Jesus was crucified on.

Christianity added much more to the symbolism of the cross. It came to signify the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus.

The crucifix emerged as a symbol in the 5th century AD. At that point, Christians started wearing a cross in the form of jewelry or religious distinction. This is the form of the cross that all Christians recognize and connect to the suffering of Christ. The crucifix is the symbol of redemption. The cross symbolizes immortality and the manner in which life defeats death.

Ichtys

Early Christians used the symbol of the fish to decorate tombs and religious establishments.

The Ichtys was connected to Christianity in the 2nd century. Some believe that it is connected to the life and miracles of Jesus Christ - the multiplication of the fishes and loaves of bread that fed an entire crowd.

The word Ichtys itself holds significance since the letters are the starting ones in the following phrase: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, which in Greek means Jesus Christ - the Son of God and Savior.

Christian Sacraments

Bread and red wine symbolize the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. These are part of the sacraments - yet another important symbol of Christianity. The number of sacraments varies but Eucharist and baptism are always present.

The bread and wine are part of the Eucharist. They symbolize the salvation of human kind that resulted from the sacrifice of Jesus.

Baptism, on the other hand, is the act through which an individual accepts Christianity and gets cleansed from all sins. The manner in which this is achieved is often through the immersion in water.

Christian Icons

Icons are a very prominent symbol for Christians, especially for Eastern Orthodox believers.

The icon is the image of a saint. The manner in which these pictures are drawn follows strict rules. The faces, clothing and appearance of saints have to correspond to certain standards.

It is curious to point out that many people who worshiped icons in the past were prosecuted. According to Christian doctrines, no image of a saint or a deity should be revered.

Jamie Highland writes for My Baby Shower Favors, a site that sells baptism favors and party supplies for other religious occasions, including Baptisms and Easter. To check out some easter cookies, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Note: You can reprint this article in your ezine, blog, or website as long as the credits remain intact and hyperlinks remain active and dofollow. If you want more articles, visit our site and click on the Contact Us link.