Religious signs and symbols

Judaism

Star of david

Judaism

• Judaism The structure of the star, with two overlapping triangles, has also been thought to represent the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The star that points up symbolizes God and the star that points down symbolizes the Jews here on earth.

• Appears on the Flag of Israel.

Israeli Flag

• The origins of the Star of David are unclear. We do know that the symbol hasn't always been associated exclusively with Judaism, but was used by Christians and Muslims at various points in history.

• The Star of David was eventually cemented as a Jewish symbol when it became a favorite architectural decoration on Jewish buildings and then during World War II, when Hitler forced Jews to wear a yellow Star of David as a "badge of shame."

• One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple.

• It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be "a light unto the nations.“

• The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid, symbolizes the menorah.

Buddhism

The Dharma wheel

Buddhism

• The Dharma wheel is one of the oldest symbols of Buddhism. Around the globe it is used to represent Buddhism in the same way that a cross represents Christianity or a Star of David represents Judaism.

• The circle, the round shape of the wheel, represents the perfection of the dharma, the Buddha's teaching.

• The rim of the wheel represents meditative concentration and mindfulness, which hold practice together.

• The hub represents moral discipline. The three swirls often seen on the hub are sometimes said to represent the Three Treasures or Three Jewels -- Buddha, dharma, sangha. They may also represent joy.

• When a wheel has eight spokes, the spokes represent the Eightfold Path. An eight-spoke wheel is most commonly used to represent Buddhism.

Buddha statue

• Buddha symbolizes self-perfection and often people keep Buddha statues as a reminder of what they are trying to attain.

• Buddhas statues symbolize the Eightfold Path. This path requires that one have the right views, the right speech, the right aspirations, the right livelihood, the right conduct, the right effort, the right mindfulness as well as the right contemplation.

Hinduism

Aum

Hinduism

• Traditionally, the bindi is worn on the forehead of married Hindu women. It symbolizes female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. Bindis are traditionally a simple mark made with the paste of colored sandalwood, sindoor or turmeric. The bindi is most commonly a red dot made with vermilion.

Bindi

• More recently, the bindi has become primarily a decorative accessory and is worn by unmarried girls and non-Hindu women. It is also no longer restricted in color or shape, and self-adhesive bindis made from felt in various designs and colors are common. Bindi styles often vary by the area of India in which they are worn.

Islam

Islam

• The star and crescent moon is the best-known symbol used to represent Islam. It features prominently on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably Turkey and Pakistan.

• Surprisingly, the symbol is not Muslim in origin. Rather, it was a polytheistic icon adopted during the spread of Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in the Muslim world. The crescent and star are often said to beIslamic symbols, but historians say that they were the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a whole.

Crescent moon and star

Pakistani Flag and Turkish Flag