Halo Cross



Halo Cross

The three cross arms of this halo represent the Holy Trinity


Sun Cross
likely to have originally represented the oldest and most powerful god - the Sun. No surprise therefore that the symbolism transferred into other religions such as Christianity and Buddhism.


Celtic Cross
probably the most widely seen Halo Cross


Rainbow Cross
tells us of God's promise to mankind


Ankh Cross
reminds us of the rebirth possible through Jesus' sacrifice


Crown of Thorns
worn by Jesus when He was crucified


Wreath Cross
made from leaves, plucked from bushes and trees, sacrificed to make the wreath.


Enshrined Cross
Despite its horseshoe shape, this symbol represents light. The rainbow after the storm of living in this world.

The word halo comes from the Greek halos, which means the ring of light shown around the Sun. The word was borrowed for the name of the light, real or imaginary, appearing around a holy person. Artists have used this to represent the spiritual light from holy people "The righteous shall shine forth as the Halo in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:43)

Buddhist statue with a kouhai or gokou (halo) in Tokyo, holding a trident weapon to protect babies & young children
Click image to enlarge


The Hindu god Shiva with Parvati, both with a halo. Shiva has a Third Eye, a necklace made of skulls, a trident and a few snakes
Click image to enlarge

A circle or arc is much easier to draw or carve than an image of a holy person, therefore just the halo is sometimes shown on its own to represent a holy person.

Halos are not restricted to Christianity; other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism use halos in iconography.

In a Christian context, a Halo Cross is a generic term for many crosses with such shapes and a few examples are shown on the left.