The Lily
The white lily is a sign of purity tied to the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation, and a familiar flower in churches at Easter.
What the Lily means
The lily is a symbol of purity and virginity. It is one of the primary symbols of the Virgin Mary, especially in pictures of the Annunciation. Virgin saints such as St. Joseph, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Gertrude also have the lily as their emblem.
Two different lilies are involved. The Madonna lily (Lilium candidum), native to Europe and the Middle East, was closely linked with Mary in the Middle Ages. The Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is native to Japan and was introduced to the United States in the 1880s by way of Bermuda. It became a popular altar flower at Easter, and its white trumpet is read as a sign of purity and of Christ's triumph over death. The Church sets no rule about which flowers adorn the altar at Easter.
LegendA popular story says lilies sprang up in the Garden of Gethsemane where drops of Christ's sweat fell during his agony. It is a pious legend, not history.
