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The Easter Lily, also known by its Latin name Lilium longiflorum, has become the
traditional Easter flower. With all the different flowers available in the spring garden, it is this beautiful, white flower,
that has come to symbolize the spiritual values of Easter: purity, life and renewel. The flower's
trumpet shape is a reminder of the heralding of Jesus, returning triumphant to Jerusalem. Native to Japan, Easter Lilies were
imported to the United States until 1941, when World War II prompted Americans to start growing their own bulbs.
According to Biblical scholars, the Easter Lily was found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane
where Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus. Legend tells that white lilies miraculously sprung up from the ground where drops
of Jesus' sweat and tears fell during his last hours. The Easter Lily also has close associations with Jesus' mother, the
Virgin Mary. In early religious paintings, the Archangel Gabriel is pictured extending a branch of white lilies to Mary, symbolizing
that she had become the virgin mother to the savior.
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