Lilies are flowering plants normally grown from bulbs and sprouting showy flowering garden plants. Some species of lilies are edible. Many plants have the word lily in its name, but it has been classified in the ''Lilium'' genus to be a true lily. The lily's phallic appearance and erotic fragrance caused societies like the Greeks and Egyptians to associate it with fertility. It was a popular decorative motif in those ancient cultures. Feminine sexuality was artfully suggested when the lily was placed in a vase or jar, as it often was.
Christians, on the other hand, see the lily as based on the Sermon on the Mount and its 'lilies of the field' passage. Consider how beautiful they grow, though 'they toil not'. It says that God provides and the lily emerges as a symbol of faith and surrender to God's grace. The lily is also a symbol of Easter and of Christ himself, of resurrection and immortality. The lily is often seen near a coffin, symbolizing death as well as purity. Because of its association with Christ, lilies are symbolic that the newly departed soul, if they have led a virtuous life of faith, will find resurrection in the hereafter. Lilies are often featured in memorial tattoo designs.
Lily tattoos symbolize purity, chastity and innocence. White lilies are associated with the Virgin Mary.
