Architectural Symbolism – Octagons: Redemption and Restoration

Here’s a fun fact about architectural symbolism and the number eight.

The number eight holds profound significance in European Christianity. Church architecture often incorporates design elements that include octagons, especially those dating back to the Colonial period.

You might be asking yourself why the number eight is so important.

The answer lies in Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is the most important day of the liturgical year as it represents the day of redemption and rebirth for humankind. This holy Sunday becomes the “eighth” day of the week, signifying the last day of the old week and the start of the new. In short, this day represents both the alpha and the omega.

Here are two photos of the exterior of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster City. Can you spot the octagons?

Resource

• Kitchens, Smokehouses, and Privies: Outbuildings and the Architecture of Daily Life in the Eighteenth-Century Mid-Atlantic by Michael Olmert