In ancient times, temples were often decorated with garlands of flowers, leaves and fruits: also called a festoon. It is a wreath or garland that hangs from two points, and in architecture typically a carved ornament depicting a conventional arrangement of flowers, leaves, or fruit tied together and hung by ribbons. They were offerings and each of the flowers and fruits used had its own specific meaning.

They can be found in many forms on funerary monuments.

In general, the symbol of fire can be seen as a sign of transition, transformation, resurrection, or cleansing.

The latter, for example, has a terrifying example in the burning of witches in the Middle Ages. In the oldest cultures fire was possibly seen as an incarnation of the sun, which is often still seen as a god. In Buddhism, a pillar of fire is a symbol of the Buddha and fire as enlightenment can be a metaphor for wisdom.

In the Christian tradition, fire has a positive and negative charge. Positive because it symbolizes inspiration and the Holy Spirit, in the guise of flame tongues, poured out over the apostles at Pentecost. Negative because of the reference to the eternally burning hellfire.

Fire can be found in various forms in the funerary symbolism. There is the dying torch, as a sign for the end of life, and also the burning oil lamp, as a symbol of the eternal light, referring to eternity and immortality. When smoke is visible near the lamp, it can be seen as an ascent symbol of a purified soul. Fire can also be found in grave symbolism with the bird phoenix that rises from its ashes. A rebirth.

Symbol of Christ because the initial letters of the Greek word for fish, ICHTHUS, were interpreted as Iesous CHristos THeou (h) Uios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior).

Also a very early symbol of Christian baptism. Believers were called pisciculi, little fish; the font is the piscina, literally a fishing pond.

The flower represents the soul. Flowers open their hearts to the sunlight, just as a person opens his soul to God. In neutral terms, flowers symbolize vitality and joie de vivre, the end of winter and the victory over death. In Christian symbolism, the upward-opening calyx is a reference to receiving God's gifts, the joy of nature in paradise, but also the transience of all earthly beauty that can only be lasting in the garden of heaven. The old custom of digging in gardens or planting them with flowers is related to this.

Flowers symbolize both joie de vivre and transience. For example, the Bible reads: “As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." (Psalm 103: 15-16 (KJ)).