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Symbols are a significant way for people to learn new topics within religion and many different cultures. Symbols allow people to link many different ideas together and make connections. We also use symbols everyday to help us better understand aspects of our lives that are hard to comprehend. Symbols are important because we can use them to express different things without using words.

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Today, the maple leaf is a recognized symbol of Canada; it has also come to symbolize unity, tolerance, and peace. Some may question why the maple leaf was eventually chosen as the symbol used on Canada’s flag, particularly given that the sugar maple, used as the model for the maple leaf design on Canada’s national flag, is found only in eastern Canada. The maple leaf, at the time that Canada was looking for a flag, was only found in Canada. Canada decided it was something special for them and choose it to symbolize how unique Canada was.

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An ofrenda is a traditional part of Mexican culture. The word ofrenda means offering in spanish. Some people mistakenly think that Mexicans that set up ofrendas for their defunct relatives are actually worshiping them.  Nothing further from the truth. The vast majority of Mexicans are Christian Catholics, so they only worship God.

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The cross symbolizes the christian faith and its community. It is used as a symbol of initiation as a child of God. When we are Baptized, we are branded with chrism in the shape of a cross. In the Bible, Luke 9:23 "and he said to all, " if anyone would come after me , let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Here Jesus refers to the cross as peoples sins, he wants people to repent from their sins and follow him. He anoints the children with the chrism in the shape of the cross, welcoming them to the family of God.There is also Jesus's crucifixion where he is nailed to the cross before he proceeds to the Kingdom of Heaven and saving us from our sins.

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A white baptismal garment symbolizes acceptance and renewal to the community. The garment is used to resemble the light of Jesus Christ. It is also said to symbolize the light is now within the person being baptized. In the Bible, Revelation 19:8 says, "It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

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The bald eagle is a well known part of American culture that has important symbolism for all American citizens. The bald eagle is used as a symbol for America because the powerful, majestic, and free bird captures the spirit of our culture. The founding fathers chose the bald eagle to be a representative of American culture because it shows the importance of independence and strength in the United States. The bald eagle is a major cultural symbol in our country that is used to show our patriotism.

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A video to show a visual on what symbols are.

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Water is an important religious symbol, especially within the Sacrament of Baptism. This symbol is used during liturgy in the act of immersion that happens while an infant or adult enters the Christian life through Baptism. Water is the primary symbol of Baptism because it connects the act of immersion to the spiritual cleansing that is happening on a deeper level during Baptism. While humans can not physically see their sins being removed during Baptism, the symbol of water being poured on their heads helps show how God is entering us into new life through Baptism. Water is also used to explain Baptism in Scripture. For example, 1 Peter 3:21 says ""And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." This scriptural reference explains how God intended to use water to show the salvation we experience through Baptism.

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A symbol is an object, idea, image, or thing that is used to represent something else. They are mental pictures people create to use for identifying things. These simple images make difficult concepts easier to interpret. For example, the legend on a map allows people to point out locations easily.